Morocco: NSO Group's Pegasus Spyware Targeted Journalists and Opposition

Herz — World Desk · 16 July 2026 at 07:27 · 30s summary · 2 min read

What We Know

International media investigations, including by German weekly DIE ZEIT, reveal that Morocco used Pegasus spyware to surveil politicians, opposition figures, and journalists, with Israeli assistance.

Pegasus is developed by NSO Group, an Israeli cybersecurity firm founded in 2010 by Niv Carmi, Shalev Hulio, and Omri Lavie. The investigations, published on July 16, 2026, show how this tool is used to suppress opposition and threaten press freedom.

Beyond Morocco, implications of Israel and the United Arab Emirates in Pegasus use are documented by the same investigations.

Omar Radi, Central Figure in the Case

Omar Radi, a Moroccan investigative journalist, is the central figure in the case. Pegasus spyware was used against him to sabotage his work.

A former Moroccan intelligence officer, who remained anonymous, testified that Radi was extremely difficult to surveil using conventional methods. He would take trains on short notice, turn off his phone before meetings or leave it at home, and hang up before conversations became interesting.

Torture for the colleagues.

— Former Moroccan intelligence officer (anonymous), cited by DIE ZEIT

The officer described this behavior as torture for the colleagues. He called Pegasus a "monster weapon"—a literal translation of the German "Monsterwaffe"—which had to be deployed against Radi as a last resort after nothing else had worked.

Despite legal proceedings and political entanglements related to this case, Radi remains vigilant and continues fighting against surveillance.

What Remains Uncertain

The investigations raise the question of whether King Mohammed VI's intelligence apparatus used Pegasus to target French President Emmanuel Macron. This information is presented as a question in the publications and does not constitute an established fact at this stage.

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