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The Spanish authorities reported that the phones of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, were intercepted with the Pegasus software in 2021. The information is released days after the alleged espionage against dozens of of Catalan independence leaders. The secessionists described Madrid’s denunciation as a “smokescreen”.
New chapter in the scandal for alleged espionage in the Spanish political sphere.
The Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, reported at a press conference on May 2 that the mobile phones of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, were the target of a series of alleged cases of infiltration with Pegasus spyware, according to two technical reports from the National Cryptologic Center.
Sánchez’s device would have been intercepted twice, in May 2021, and Robles’ phone was attacked once, in June of the same year. The actions against both would have resulted in the obtaining of a significant amount of data, Bolaños said.
The alleged hacks did not have the authorization of a judge in the country, an essential legal requirement for covert operations, which results in a serious infraction.
“We have no doubt that this is an illegal and unauthorized intervention (…) It comes from organizations outside the State and did not have judicial authorization,” said the minister.
📺 LIVE TV | Félix Bolaños reports that according to two technical reports from the national cryptological center, the cell phones of Pedro Sánchez and Margarita Robles have been infected by the Pegasus espionage program https://t.co/EcfWfbWxHt pic.twitter.com/c0nA66adty
– THE COUNTRY (@el_pais) May 2, 2022
However, the government representative did not specifically indicate who was behind the alleged infiltration with Pegasus, a spyware developed by two Israeli companies and only available to government entities.
The program stealthily infiltrates mobile phones and other devices to extract personal and location data, but it also secretly controls cell phones’ microphones and cameras, thus turning them into advanced connectors for real-time spying.
Leaders of Catalonia point to a “smokescreen”
For Moncloa “it is a very serious issue, beyond making speculations (inventions)”, but for the separatist leaders of Catalonia the complaint exposed this May 2 is a “smokescreen” to cover the espionage against at least 65 leaders secessionists, a case known as ‘Catalangate’ that broke out a few weeks ago.
Since then, the Spanish government has been under strong pressure to clarify responsibilities. Even the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), the main political party in the region and currently a fundamental ally in the government coalition, has demanded the resignation of the Defense Minister.
Several separatist leaders in the region agreed on Monday to question the claim that Sánchez and Robles were subjected to “illegal and external” wiretapping.
“All political espionage is extremely serious. We have been denouncing it for days without obtaining explanations from the Spanish Government. When the massive espionage is against the Catalan institutions and the independence movement: silence and excuses. Today everything is rush. It is necessary to assume responsibilities now”, questioned the president of the Generalitat Pere Arangonès.
Tot espionatge politic es d’extrema gravetat. Fa die que ho denunciem sense to obtain explanations from the Spanish government. When mass espionage is against Catalan institutions and independence, silence and excuses. Avui, all are presses. Cal assume responsabilitats ja.
– Pere Aragonès i Garcia 🎗 (@perearagones) May 2, 2022
According to the research group Citizens Lab, affiliated with the University of Toronto, the alleged espionage against the secessionists would have occurred between 2017 and 2020, at a time when the attempts to create an independent state in the northeast of Spain generated one of the biggest crises country’s policies in decades.
Among the targets of this hack were four former presidents of the Generalitat, including Carles Puigdemont, his successor Quim Torra, and who currently holds the position, Pere Arangonès.
The Catalan regional government accused Spain’s National Intelligence Center (CNI) of spying on the separatists and declared that relations with national authorities were “on hold” until full explanations were offered and those responsible were punished.
Madrid has tried to address their concerns with promises of full transparency, announcements of plans for an internal investigation by the country’s intelligence agency and a separate investigation by Spain’s ombudsman.
In addition, the Sánchez administration has established a special parliamentary commission on state secrets and lawmakers are expected to question the head of the CNI later this week, although discussions of state security issues are not due to be published.
However, the espionage case is disrupting Spanish politics and aims to deepen the divisions in the government coalition.
With Reuters, EFE and local media
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