What the Pegasus spyware tells us about Morocco: a dictatorship in all but name
The revelations about the use made by certain countries of the Pegasus spyware against journalists around the world have focused attention on Morocco's close surveillance of the media. As Mediapart – itself a victim of Moroccan spying - here reveals, the North African kingdom's clampdown targets not just independent journalists and publications but human rights activists too. The regime has also cynically made use of the #MeToo movement and the subsequent heightened global awareness about sexual and sexist violence to discredit those who criticise and oppose it by manipulating or fabricating evidence of a sexual nature.
JournalismJournalism is a risky profession in Morocco. The recent investigation coordinated by non-profit journalism organisation Forbidden Stories with the support of Amnesty International’s Security Lab highlights this once again. Many independent journalists in the North African country feature on the list of victims tracked by the Moroccan secret services using the Pegasus spyware sold by Israeli firm NSO Group.
