Allegations of a Comprehensive Surveillance System in Morocco
Amnesty International, the renowned human rights organization, has leveled serious accusations against the Moroccan authorities, alleging that they have been exploiting an intricate surveillance system that combines both digital and analog tools in order to "track, monitor, and ultimately silence journalists, activists, and other critical voices." This claim was made in a comprehensive report released on October 1st, which identifies the General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) as the entity responsible for deploying the notorious Pegasus spyware within Morocco's borders. Despite repeated denials from Moroccan officials regarding the use of spyware against citizens, Amnesty's findings paint a troubling picture of state-sponsored surveillance.
The report, titled "We Start with the Verdict: Inside Morocco's Surveillance Machine," is based on the testimony of an alleged former employee of the DGST, who goes by the pseudonym Safir. This same source has previously been referenced by European media outlets. The report also relies on forensic digital analyses, leaked documents, and interviews with ten individuals believed to be targets of this surveillance. Amnesty claims to have corroborated key aspects of Safir's testimony through independent sources and technical evidence, offering what it describes as the most detailed account to date of the tools used by Moroccan authorities, including advanced spyware, audio listening systems, and tracking devices aimed at spying on journalists, human rights defenders, and others.
Methods of Surveillance and Targeting
Amnesty's narrative, as conveyed through Safir's testimony, reveals that targeted individuals were secretly filmed and recorded while in detention, at their offices and cars, in cafés, and even in their own bedrooms. The organization asserts that phone shops have been enlisted to sell mobile phones that were pre-infected with spyware by DGST agents, and that neighbors have been recruited to act as informants. Through its forensic research, Amnesty identified several methods employed to infect devices, including malicious links, attacks that require no action from the target, and "network injection attacks."
In a chilling revelation, Safir stated, "We infected so many cybercafés with remote control spyware (RCS). Field agents would inform us about which cybercafé the target frequented, and we had visibility on their activities because we had previously infected all the machines present there." Regarding journalist Omar Radi, Amnesty cites Safir's claim that microphones were allegedly "implanted in the light fixtures of his apartment." The report also claims that activist Fouad Abdelmoumni was "secretly filmed at home with his fiancée, and the video was subsequently shared on WhatsApp" in 2021. Safir described this incident as a "textbook case" of surveillance operation executed by the DGST. Rebecca White, a researcher at Amnesty's Security Lab, emphasized that "the tools they use are varied, but the objective is clear: to blackmail, discredit, humiliate, and if necessary, unjustly imprison those who speak out in defense of human rights in Morocco."
Amnesty's investigation has linked 103 Moroccan phone numbers to individuals "selected as potential targets of Pegasus," including 65 civil society figures. However, being listed does not confirm that a phone was actually infected. The organization also noted that internal documents from NSO Group revealed that employees of the company "conducted training and testing demonstrating new capabilities of their spyware for the benefit of Moroccan authorities." Moroccan officials did not respond prior to the release of the report. Memento Labs stated that it currently has no active contracts with any Moroccan agency, while Verint indicated that it divested its relevant operations in February 2021. Other companies have not provided responses to inquiries.
Amnesty International stated that the investigation involved the collaboration of 14 media outlets coordinated by Forbidden Stories. The organization is calling for an independent investigation into the alleged abuses and the suspension of exports of intrusive surveillance technologies to Morocco until effective human rights safeguards are established.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
