Spanish court points finger at Israel as it drops Pegasus spyware case again

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Sam Jones in MadridJanuary 23, 2026 at 11:38 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A Spanish court has again closed its investigation into the use of Pegasus spyware to target the mobile phones of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other ministers. The investigation, launched in May 2022, was prompted by the discovery that their phones had been infected in 2021. Judge José Luis Calama cited a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities as the reason for shelving the case, stating that Israel's failure to respond to requests for information violated international agreements and hindered the ability to identify the perpetrators. The court had previously closed the investigation in July 2023, reopening it after receiving information from France, but this new information did not provide enough evidence to identify the responsible parties. The Israeli government has not responded to requests for comment.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Madrid 35% Audiencia Nacional 40% CNI 40% Paz Esteban 50% France ×250% Margarita Robles 60% Pedro Sánchez 70% José Luis Calama ×370% NSO Group ×275% Spain ×385% Israel ×590% Pegasus ×695%

Keywords

pegasus spyware 100% israeli authorities 90% investigation 80% lack of cooperation 70% spanish court 70% mobile phones 60% international cooperation 50% nso group 50% letters rogatory 40%