JAKARTA - Members of the European Parliament who are investigating the alleged misuse of the Pegasus spyware are actually suspected of being victims of hacking with the same software. This case was revealed by Citizen Lab in a recent report on the use of Pegasus in Europe.
The Guardian, quoted on Friday, July 3, reported that Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto found spyware, software to spy on digital devices, was repeatedly used to hack the mobile phone of Stelios Kouloglou, a former Greek member of the European Parliament. At that time, he was a member of a special committee of the European Parliament called Pega which investigated the alleged misuse of Pegasus in the European Union.
Citizen Lab has not been able to confirm which government is behind the attack. However, the hacking pattern against Kouloglou is said to be similar to previous campaigns targeting Russian, Belarusian journalists and opposition activists living in Europe.
"When you realize your private life is being watched by people who are very dangerous, you get angry. This is a big issue related to corruption, justice, and democracy," said Kouloglou.
The Pega Committee was formed in March 2022 after the publication of the Pegasus Project, an international investigation published by The Guardian along with a number of media. The investigation revealed the use of Pegasus, an Israeli-made spyware by NSO Group, against journalists, activists, politicians, and civil society members by a number of governments. NSO Group sells the device on the grounds of helping in the handling of serious crimes and terrorism.
Kouloglou joined Pega's committee in March 2022. According to Citizen Lab, his mobile phone was first infected with Pegasus on October 21, 2022, when the committee entered the most intense period of discussion and investigation, including the drafting of its first report.
NSO Group did not respond to a request for comment on the findings.
The first hack occurred while Kouloglou was undergoing a scheduled surgery at the hospital. At that time, he was visited by Greek investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis, who had previously been a victim of wiretapping in the "Greek Watergate" scandal. The scandal involved illegal wiretapping of more than 80 people in Greece, including politicians, journalists, and military officials.
Citizen Lab said Kouloglou's phone was hacked again on March 6 and 7, 2023. At that time, it coincided with the final discussion of the Pega committee report and Kouloglou's trip from Athens to Brussels.
According to Citizen Lab, this is the first time that members of the Pega committee have been targeted by spyware they are investigating.
Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton called the case the greatest irony in the European spyware crisis. According to him, members of the committee tasked with investigating Pegasus were actually victims of Pegasus, while the various recommendations that the committee had submitted were not followed up on much.
"I can guess the next chapter. There will be more MPs hacked. In fact, I suspect there are MPs who attend high-level meetings without realizing their phones have been turned into a spy tool," said Scott-Railton.
The Guardian also reported that Citizen Lab believes the operator who attacked Kouloglou is likely the same party that targeted seven independent journalists and Russian- and Belarusian-speaking opposition activists in Europe. The suspicion is based on the use of the same Apple ID address in a series of attacks. Apple ID is an account used to access Apple devices and services.
The researchers also estimated that the operator has a license to operate Pegasus in Belgium and Greece.
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