French Lawyer: There Is No Evidence Linking Morocco to Pegasus Spyware Use
Rabat – Olivier Baratelli, a lawyer representing Morocco in the Pegasus case stressed the absence of any evidence linking the North African country to the use of Pegasus spyware in electronic devices.
“Morocco has clearly been the victim” of similar attempts for a “long time.”
The lawyer emphasized on Wednesday that he has been waiting for the “slightest” evidence to prove the “fanciful accusations” brought against Morocco over the past 18 months.
“Two investigating judges have been appointed to complaints from different people, who accuse Morocco of having spied on their phones, but no technical element comes to light [in] these accusations,” he stressed.
Morocco appointed Baratelli to represent the country in its legal defense against France in July 2021.
The lawyer is also leading Morocco’s planned legal actions against NGOs, behind the spying allegations against the country.
The country filed a lawsuit against Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories, which claimed that the North African country used Pegasus spyware produced by Israeli company NSO Group to allegedly hack smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists, and officials from several countries.
Morocco has frequently rejected the spyware allegations. Both NGOs also failed to present evidence to back their claims and allegations against the country.
“Morocco has consistently denounced the fanciful, unfair, and remote guided accusations over the use of Pegasus,” Baratelli said, stressing that the country has initiated 10 criminal defamation proceedings against 10 newspapers which have spread the rumors without providing evidence.
French judicial expert David Zenati, echoed Baratelli’s remarks, stressing the need for “extreme caution” regarding any reports accusing Morocco of using Pegasus’ software.
“The technical elements provided” by NGOs who made the accusations do not in “any way allow knowing or locate the user of the program,” he said.
Zenati, who is an expert at the Court of Cassation and the International Criminal Court, made his remarks on Wednesday at the Moroccan parliament to discuss the blatant and repeated hostile attacks against
Morocco.
“If we want to know whether this or that country has hacked this or that phone, the only place you can get this information is where the NSO server is located,” the technical expert added.
On Wednesday, Morocco’s parliament held a meeting, convening officials, lawyers, experts, and journalists to discuss the European Parliament’s accusations against Morocco — including the body’s January resolution – accusing the North African country of “harassing” and “intimidating” journalists and activists.
In the meeting, the parliament reiterated its position against the hostile maneuvers and accusations against the country and condemned allegations made without evidence or proof, including the Pegasus case.
Source: Morocco World News
