Moroccan intelligence uses surveillance to ‘silence’ journalists: Amnesty

Probe finds spyware, hidden microphones and pre-infected phones used to surveil journalists, activists, rights defenders.Amnesty International has denounced Morocco’s intelligence agency for using spyware, hidden microphones and pre-infected phones in the “unlawful surveillance” of journalists and human rights defenders.Moroccan authorities host an “expansive and vast” surveillance apparatus that they use to “ultimately silence journalists, activists and other critical voices”, the rights NGO said in a report published on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Mahsa Amini death four years on: Iranians reflect on ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’list 2 of 3Palestine Action protesters arrested outside UK Labour Party conferencelist 3 of 3‘Dire situation’: Lebanese prisoners on hunger strike for 18 daysend of listThe report, Inside Morocco’s surveillance machine, is based on the testimony of a former employee of the Moroccan domestic intelligence service (DGST), as well as leaked documents and journalistic investigations.NGOs, including Amnesty, have for years accused Morocco of using Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli NSO Group, to monitor journalists, activists and political figures.Rabat has repeatedly denied using spyware against its citizens. Amnesty said it wrote to Moroccan authorities four weeks before publication and received no response. Al Jazeera could not immediately reach Moroccan officials for comment.In its report, Amnesty identified the DGST as the body responsible for deploying Pegasus in Morocco, saying the agency used the spyware against activists and journalists between 2017 and 2021.Amnesty said Moroccan authorities combined “high-tech tools” like Pegasus with more traditional techniques like tailing and wiretapping.“People are secretly videoed and audio recorded in detention, in their own offices and cars, and even in their own bedrooms,” the report says, citing the whistleblower.