Spanish Intelligence Agency “Centro Nacional de Inteligencia – CNI” has released a lengthy 286-page report on the country’s national security in which it cleared Morocco’s name, exonerating it from all spying accusations in connection with the Pegasus spyware scandal.
A few Spanish officials as former foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya, as well as Far Right Vox Party (known for its hostility to Morocco), had accused Morocco of infecting the cell phones of senior officials, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defense Minister Margarita Robles and Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska, with the spyware in 2021, when diplomatic ties were strained after Spain secretly hosted the polisario’s chief.
The allegations were based on unsubstantiated testimonies before the European Parliament by Spanish reporter Ignacio Cembrero.
Brought to justice, a Spanish court had ruled that it is very hard to prove that Morocco had used Pegasus on Cembrero’s mobile terminal. The complaint filed with the Audiencia Nacional, the highest court in Spain, never cited Morocco.
Many Spanish governmental sources had told Spanish news agency “EFE”, subsequent to the scandal, that accusations against Morocco or any other country regarding the Pegasus use were “mere speculations”.
Several experts, such as Jonathan Scott, Tor Ekeland and Michael Hassard had brushed off the claims as bogus and junk science.