Amnesty accuses Morocco of spying on activists and journalists

A new report by Amnesty International accuses Morocco of having used spyware for years against critics both inside and outside the country, including French and Spanish politicians.

The rights group alleges Rabat operates a surveillance apparatus that combines digital and analogue tools to track, monitor, and ultimately silence journalists, activists, and other critical voices.

Published on Thursday, the report by the London-based organisation details allegations of spyware attacks, phone interception, hidden recording devices, and the tracking of people’s movements.

"People are secretly videoed and audio recorded in detention, in their own offices and cars, and even in their own bedrooms," the report said.

"Phone calls are systematically recorded and spied upon," and "shops sell mobile phones pre-infected with malware by DGST [domestic intelligence service] agents".

The personal data collected on activists and human rights defenders is used to fuel public smear campaigns against them, according to the NGO.

It said the DGST, got this technology from Israeli, American, and European companies. NGOs, including Amnesty, have for years accused the kingdom of using Pegasus spyware, developed by the Israeli NSO Group.

Amnesty said they relied on the testimony of a former Moroccan intelligence officer, as well as leaked documents and journalistic investigations to compile the report.

The rights group called on Morocco to stop spying on activists and journalists and to launch an independent investigation into the DGST.

Rabat has repeatedly denied using spyware to spy on its citizens.