The Paris prosecutor’s office on Friday (July 1) entrusted an investigating judge with the investigation into France’s use of Pegasus spyware, which has sparked an international scandal, a source familiar with the case told AFP.
The prosecution confirmed thisA judicial investigation was launched against X today by the cyber department of the Paris prosecutor’s officecovering a wide range of potential offences, including invasion of privacy or fraudulent use thereofautomated data processing systems“, some of which”implemented by the state“. Details, this information is open “fraudulent access to and maintenance of an automated data processing system, introduction of data into such system, extraction of data from such system, possession, reproduction and transmission of data from such system“.
Multiple offenses
It also includes “criminal association, eavesdropping on correspondence sent by electronic means, installing devices that may allow such eavesdropping, possessing and distributing words or images that violate privacy, offering, transmitting or making available, and possessing, offering or selling equipment designed to attack to allow. on an automated data processing system“. Finally, it also applies to offenses related to administration.Access and storage in the automated data processing system organized by the state in the domain, import, extraction, storage, reproduction and transfer of data from the automated data processing system in the group organized by the state.“.
A consortium of 17 international media found that the Pegasus software, designed by the Israeli company NSO Group, would enable the spying of at least 180 journalists, 600 politicians, 85 human rights activists and 65 different business leaders. countries. NSO, which is regularly accused of playing into the hands of authoritarian regimes, has assured that its software is only used to obtain information against criminal or terrorist networks.
His computer tool, Pegasus, which is considered “armedThe Israel Defense Forces, which should give the green light to its export, enables remote activation of smartphone cameras and microphones. It is sold specifically to governments. The revelations sparked global outrage from human rights organizations, the media and political leaders. Many of them resorted to legal measures in return.
“ultimate hope»
“Cooperation with the Israeli authorities should definitely be sought, even if it is without a guarantee. In addition, the collected elements should provide an opportunity to anticipate the summons of the NSS by the examining magistrate;– responded Im Vincent Brengart and William Burdon, in particular from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the National Union of Journalists and a number of journalists and lawyers. This is the surveythe last hope of uncovering the truth and punishing the guiltysaid RSF Secretary General Christophe Delois.
I, Joseph Breham, attorney for other plaintiffs, including the SNJ CGT union, the daily newspaper l’Humanité, elected officials and journalists,was happy“only”independent judges» seized from the file. “Hopefully, these investigations will make it possible to demonstrate what seems indisputable. Moroccan authorities have spied on French politicians, journalists, lawyers and activists without much concern for French leaders.added Mae Breham.
Survey in several countries
The Cherif Kingdom had officially denied “these false accusationsand brought several defamation proceedings in France against several media outlets, the Forbidden Stories Consortium and Amnesty International. These claims were declared inadmissible in France, but the Moroccan lawyer announced his intention to appeal.
Justice in Spain revealed in early June that a judge investigating the espionage of several members of the Spanish government, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, wanted to question the head of the NSO company in Israel. The European Parliament in March set up a special commission of inquiry into the alleged use of spyware or other surveillance programs in the European Union (EU), including in Hungary and Poland.
The case has sparked numerous lawsuits around the world. Apple, for example, announced in November that it had filed a complaint in the US against NSO because Pegasus would be used to target iPhone users. The Apple giant has also asked US courts to permanently ban NSO software from Apple-branded devices and services.
Source: Le Figaro
