Moroccan journalists recount years of surveillance amid new Amnesty claim

What the report says

Amnesty International has released a new report alleging that Moroccan authorities used a mix of digital and physical surveillance to monitor journalists, lawyers and activists, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting from Rabat. The report, produced with 14 media organizations and coordinated by Forbidden Stories, draws on a whistleblower identified as “Safir,” described as a former employee of Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), along with technical evidence and interviews with people identified as targets.

Al Jazeera said the report focuses on four people, including journalist and human rights defender Omar Radi, veteran activist Fouad Abdelmoumni, lawyer Abdessadak El Bouchattaoui and journalist Hicham Mansouri. Radi told Al Jazeera he noticed signs of monitoring for years before Amnesty examined his phone in 2020 and linked it to Pegasus spyware. He said he believed the surveillance extended beyond his device to his movements and contacts. Amnesty says its findings cover alleged Pegasus use in Morocco between 2017 and 2021.

Moroccan authorities have denied similar accusations in the past, and Al Jazeera noted that they had not responded to Amnesty’s latest request for comment at the time of publication. Moroccan media outlets have also questioned whether a phone number listed in Pegasus records is enough to prove infection or responsibility for an attack. Amnesty says it shared its findings with officials before publication.

The report adds to a broader debate over press freedom and state pressure in Morocco. In background comments to Al Jazeera, journalist Taoufik Bouachrine described a pattern of legal pressure, online smear campaigns and financial strain on independent outlets, saying such tactics can discourage investigative reporting.