Pegasus infected dozens of separatists’ phones between 2017 and 2020, prompting calls for an explanation from the Spanish government.
Spanish officials, on Monday, said that the Prime Minister’s and Defense Minister’s smartphones were infected last year with Pegasus malware, which is only available to government institutions in an unauthorized operation.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s mobile phone was hacked twice in May 2021, and Defence Minister Margarita Robles’ device was hacked once the following month, Presidency Minister Félix Bolanos claimed at a hurriedly scheduled press conference on Monday.
He stated that the breaches resulted in the theft of a substantial quantity of data and that reports outlining the hacking had been forwarded to Spain’s National Court for further investigation.
“There is no question that this is an unapproved, illegal action,” Bolanos stated. “It originates from non-state entities and was not sanctioned by a court.”
Spain’s Socialist-led government is under fire for failing to explain why dozens of persons associated with the separatist movement in northeastern Catalonia were infected with Pegasus between 2017 and 2020, according to Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity firm affiliated with the University of Toronto.
At least 65 individuals, including elected officials, attorneys, and activists, have been identified as targets of software developed by two Israeli businesses, Candiru and NSO Group, the creator of Pegasus.
The malware infiltrates phones and other devices invisibly in order to capture data and maybe spy on their owners.
Catalonia’s regional administration has accused Spain’s National Intelligence Center, or CNI, of spying on separatists and said that relations with national authorities are “on pause” until complete answers are provided and those involved are punished.
The conservative Popular Party, or PP, was in power in 2017, when Catalan separatists proclaimed independence following an illegal referendum, however no further action was taken to implement the declaration. The PP stayed in power until mid-2018, when Sanchez defeated them in a legislative vote.
The ERC, Catalonia’s largest political party and a critical ally of the government, has demanded the resignation of Defence Minister, Ms. Robles. However, the surveillance issue has exposed them to pressure from more extreme separatists who are calling for an end to Mr. Sanchez’s left-to-center coalition’s backing in the national Parliament.
The Central Government has sought to allay their fears by promising complete openness and announcing plans for an internal inquiry by the country’s intelligence agency as well as a separate investigation by Spain’s ombudsman.
Additionally, a special parliamentary panel on state secrets has been constituted, and the head of CNI is due to face questions from MPs later this week, but conversations about state security are not supposed to be made public.
Published By – Chirag Agrawal
Edited By – Chavvi Chaudhary
