Bourita: Amnesty’s spying charges against Morocco unfounded

LONDON - Amnesty International's spying charges against Morocco are unfounded, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita told La Tribune de Geneve.

Amnesty published on June 22 a report alleging that journalist Omar Radi’s mobile phone was subjected to several attacks using a "sophisticated new technique" that silently installed Israeli cyber company NSO's Pegasus spyware, a claim that Moroccan authorities strongly dismissed as “baseless.”

Bourita accused the London-based rights group of failing its duty of neutrality and objectivity.

“Far from being in a dynamic of dialogue, they carried out a real media campaign on the basis of unfounded accusations, misleading several media and journalists," said Bourita in an interview with the Swiss newspaper.

“It’s huge and totally wrong. We unequivocally reject these accusations,” he said.

Bourita said Amnesty tried to make the link in their report between Morocco and NSO, but, no evidence came to establish and prove any link.

“So far, weeks have gone by without them being able to substantiate their claims with credible data or evidence. They claim that only states can hack phones using the networks they control through the telephone operators. But today, devices that mimic the network signal and hack into mobile phones are sold online,” he said.

The Moroccan government rejected the accusations and asked the London-based human rights group to back its allegations with scientific proof.

Amnesty, which has so far failed to provide evidence to the Moroccan government, said it remained concerned about the authorities’ use of NSO spyware in Morocco against human rights defenders and journalists and reiterated its recommendation to respect the right to privacy and to freedom of expression.

But the Moroccan government swiftly reiterated its rejection of Amnesty’s renewed baseless accusations which Rabat said reflected Amnesty’s involvement and systematic prejudice against the North African country and the underestimation of its human rights progress.

Bourita criticised the tone used by the rights group in its publications and tweets.

“We don’t think ‘name and shame’ is the best way to get things done, however tempted that’s the goal,” said the Moroccan FM.

He said that acting secretary general Julie Verhaar’s response did not answer Rabat’s questions.

Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Dine El Otmani said Friday that Verhaar did not provide tangible evidence of its accusations.

“What we expected was a detailed report substantiating the spying allegations,” said Bourita.

“We have requested access to the chain of traceability the phone in question, including the software and hardware, so that the competent Moroccan authorities can make their proper counter-investigation. Because a lot of work is needed to understand how the hacking could have been carried out,” said Bourita.

“If someone listens to our citizens, let alone someone external, we need to know who they are. Today, it has to be said that Amnesty is unable to provide any evidence. And we are not alone in saying this,” he added.

An Israeli court has dismissed Monday Amnesty's legal bid to stop NSO Group from exporting surveillance software, saying the NGO did not prove NSO's technology had been used to spy on its members.

A Tel Aviv District Court judge found Amnesty did not present evidence to back up the claim that there had been an attempt to spy by hacking a human rights activist's phone, nor that such an attempt had been carried out by NSO, according to a court document.

Bourita stressed that the Tel Aviv court’s verdict justified Amnesty’s failure to prove that the software was being used by their government.

“All of this raises serious doubts about their methodology. Morocco will not give in to this blackmail,” he said.