Moroccan intelligence uses surveillance to ‘silence’ journalists: Amnesty

What the report says

Amnesty International has accused Morocco’s domestic intelligence service, the DGST, of using a wide surveillance network to monitor and pressure journalists, activists and human rights defenders. In a report published on Thursday, the group said the apparatus included spyware, hidden microphones, wiretapping and phones that were allegedly infected before being sold. The findings were presented as part of a wider investigation coordinated by Forbidden Stories and involving 14 media organizations.

According to Amnesty, the surveillance was used to gather private data and support public smear efforts against critical voices. The organization said its conclusions were based on testimony from a former DGST employee, leaked documents and previous journalistic investigations. It also said the spyware Pegasus, made by Israel’s NSO Group, was used against activists and journalists in Morocco between 2017 and 2021. Amnesty said it linked 103 Moroccan phone numbers entered into the Pegasus system in late 2017 to specific people, including civil society members, journalists and some officials.

The report said surveillance methods combined advanced digital intrusion with older tactics such as tailing and physical bugs, and described alleged compromises at internet cafes, airports and in private homes. One example cited in the report involved journalist Omar Radi, whose apartment was said to have been fitted with hidden microphones before he was later imprisoned.

Amnesty called on Morocco to stop the surveillance and urged governments to suspend spyware exports to the country until stronger human rights safeguards are in place. Morocco has repeatedly denied using spyware against its citizens, and Al Jazeera reported that the authorities did not immediately respond to the latest allegations.