Spain’s High Court has revived an inquiry into the alleged use of NSO Group‘s Pegasus spyware to monitor Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and other Spanish politicians, as stated on Tuesday.
This investigation will also involve sharing insights with France, where similar espionage activities targeted politicians and notable individuals.
Although no one has been charged yet, the investigation seeks to uncover the entities responsible for these violations.
The use of Pegasus software by the NSO Group previously led to significant political repercussions in Spain during 2022.
The revelation that the software was employed to surveil ministers precipitated a political crisis, culminating in the resignation of Spain’s intelligence chief.
The exact suspects, whether foreign or domestic, were not disclosed by the government.
Initially, the High Court had suspended the investigation due to a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities.
However, Judge Jose Luis Calama has decided to resume the probe following the receipt of critical information from French investigations into the deployment of Pegasus.
This software had reportedly been used to infiltrate the mobile devices of journalists, lawyers, and public figures, including those in the French government, back in 2021.
The resurgence of these espionage concerns was underscored by French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to change his mobile phone and number after the Pegasus case came to light.
Judge Calama noted that the integration of Spanish findings with the technical data provided by France could significantly advance the investigation.
He has mandated an expert analysis to correlate the technical details from the French and Spanish investigations to pinpoint the perpetrators of these cyber-attacks.
Calama expressed anticipation for a broader information exchange with French officials following the analysis.
He emphasized that this collaborative effort between the judicial authorities of France and Spain is crucial.
“All of this will allow for joint and coordinated action by the French and Spanish judicial authorities in order to determine the authorship of the infestation carried out through the Pegasus spy programme in both France and Spain,” Calama stated, underscoring the importance of the transnational dimension of the investigation in unveiling the culprits behind the cyber espionage.