The Pegasus Morocco-France Affair

In 2019, Morocco selected the numbers of President Macron, Edouard Philippe, 14 ministers, and close associates for potential espionage via Pegasus. The list is part of a collection of 50,000 numbers selected by NSO clients since 2016.

DOCUMENTED FRENCH TARGETS:

• Emmanuel Macron (President)
• Edouard Philippe (Prime Minister)
• 14 members of the government
• Edwy Plenel (founder of Mediapart)
• More than 180 journalists worldwide

WHAT WE KNOW:

• The numbers appear on the list (DOCUMENTED)
• Journalists' telephones were infected (verified by Amnesty Tech)
• Morocco is the presumed client

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW:

• Whether Macron's telephone was actually infected (no technical verification)
• An NSO executive denies that Macron was targeted (Euractiv)
• Morocco denies any involvement

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

• French judiciary seized, investigation underway
• Court of Appeal confirms the inadmissibility of Morocco joining as a civil party

ISRAELI DIMENSION:

• NSO Group is an Israeli company founded by veterans of Unit 8200
• Exports of Pegasus are controlled by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (classified as a weapon)
• Israel has therefore authorized Morocco to possess a tool capable of targeting the French President
• This raises the question of Israeli responsibility in the abusive uses of Pegasus