The Pegasus, the EU surveillance and embarrassment

Who tracked who in the EU with Pegasus software? The Commission promises to do everything it can to clear up the case, that is … not many things.

Politicians, journalists, activists, lawyers around the world have fallen victim to surveillance with the Pegasus software of the Israeli NSO group, as revealed in the summer of 2021 by an international investigative group of journalists. Since then, the scenarios for who is being monitored are increasing. The French newspaper Le Monde claims that the names of the French president Emanuel Macron and the head of the European Council Charles Michel are on the disputed lists of people under surveillance. Amnesty International alleges that Saudi journalist Kasogi fell victim to surveillance before being assassinated in Turkey. A few days ago, the Spanish Prime Minister admitted that surveillance software was found on the Prime Minister’s mobile phone, while the newspaper El Pais and other media reported that the Spanish secret services also used Pegasus to monitor Catalan politicians and journalists. The whole affair is called “Catalangate” in Catalonia.

In an effort to provide answers, the European Parliament has set up a committee of inquiry into the case. The result is expected by April 2022. However, an extensive discussion took place on Wednesday in the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. For the first time, the public had the opportunity to learn more about the speculation about surveillance. “Our case shows that we can all fall victim to eavesdropping, there are already indications of surveillance of Commissioners, MEPs, officials of the institutions,” said Austrian Social Democrat Heines Heide. Many questions: Who is watching? Are the national governments themselves? Is the monitoring in line with national and European law? Were there court warrants? “If it turns out that national governments are trying to monitor Commission officials, it will be the biggest scandal since the Watergate era,” warns Dutch Liberal MEP Sophia Undefeld.

Is there a Greek aspect to Pegasus?

The Spanish newspaper ABC estimates that “almost all European countries are affected by the Pegasus case. So far there has been no talk of using Pegasus in Greece. However, SYRIZA MEP Stelios Kouloglou, speaking in Strasbourg, points out that” it is not only Pegasus, is also the Predator. “A Greek journalist, Mr. Koukakis, was being monitored by this and the government was watching him.”

This is the journalist Thanasis Koukakis. He, in an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, presented a few days ago by the website tvxs.gr, states, among other things: “I became the first confirmed European citizen, whose mobile phone was intentionally infected by Predator, a spyware system developed by Cytrox, an Israeli company based in Northern Macedonia “.

The Balkan Insight political review claims, citing data from the Canadian Citizen Lab, which has also investigated the Pegasus case, that Predator “clients” have been identified in Egypt, Armenia, Serbia and Greece, among others. It is not clear if these are government officials or individuals. The Greek government has pledged to look into the matter.

“National competence” the investigation

So far, the Pegasus case is mainly affecting Spain, Poland and Hungary. Marcin Bosacki, chairman of the commission of inquiry set up by the Polish Senate to investigate “illegal surveillance”, was also in Strasbourg these days. Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Bosacki, who belongs to the opposition Citizens’ Platform, expressed hope that the Commission and the European Parliament would assist in the work of the commission, which is not the case with the Polish government itself.

But can the EU executive help? Speaking on behalf of the Commission – although without any substantive responsibility – Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that “illegal surveillance is a crime, we all agree on that”. However, he jokingly recalled that seven years ago he had spoken of a “surveillance scandal” in Northern Macedonia, without any consequences, as “at that time everyone was dealing with the name of the country, not the fact that 22,000 people are being watched “. At the same time, however, the Commissioner clarified that “national services are responsible for imposing sanctions”. So he is not responsible. This has been and remains the official position of Brussels since the Pegasus case arose. Those who expected more enlightening information from the Council’s representative, French Minister for European Affairs Clement Bon, were probably disappointed. He himself appeared in the room with … 65 minutes delay and with a rather general assurance: “You will have support from the Council, the illegal use of the software is unacceptable”.

Separatists against all

Does this mean that there are legal uses for the software, for which no blame arises? This is shown by the use of Pegasus in Spain and the sharp confrontation of Catalan MEPs with other Spanish colleagues in the Strasbourg seats. “Who ordered my and my family’s private sphere to be violated? Was there a court order?” asks Green MEP Jordi Sole of the separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. Former Catalan President and current MEP Carles Puzdemon, who has escaped to Brussels to avoid arrest in Madrid, speaks of the “biggest scandal of our time”.

But Dolores Montserrat of the Conservative People’s Party, which traditionally emphasizes the suppression of separatist tendencies, has a ready answer: “The question is to defend Spain and its integrity. When a state is attacked, it must defend itself.” As for the accusations of Carles Puzdemon, Montserrat claims that the former president of Catalonia “is just looking for an opportunity to represent the victim”.

Giannis Papadimitriou, Strasbourg

Source: Deutsche Welle