Pegasus: Saudi Arabia denies espionage accusations
Saudi Arabia denies having used the Pegasus software to spy on personalities.
FRED TANNEAU AFP / Archivos
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
After Morocco and Hungary, it is Saudi Arabia's turn to dismiss accusations of espionage with the Pegasus software.
On Wednesday, the kingdom denied the use of "
software
" - without specifying which one - to monitor phone calls.
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With our regional correspondent,
Nicolas Keraudren
In a brief published by the state-run SPA news agency on Thursday, July 22, an official said on condition of anonymity that the espionage accusations were "
false
."
This is the first reaction of the Saudi authorities.
Saudi Arabia "
does not tolerate such practices
" he also added.
Eight hundred numbers on a target list
Since Sunday, the revelations according to which the Saudi kingdom has used the Pegasus software for espionage purposes have nevertheless multiplied.
About 800 phone numbers selected by Saudi operators are believed to be among the list of potential targets.
Among them, opponents, journalists, but also senior Egyptian and Iraqi leaders.
According to the newspaper Le Monde, the Israeli company NSO would have however canceled its contract with the Gulf monarchy in the spring of 2020. “
For concerns related to human rights
” specifies the source of the members of the “
Pegasus project
” without however specify which.
But this is probably a reference to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Some of his relatives were also said to have been monitored after his assassination in October 2018.
►Also read: Pegasus: Israel, fearing diplomatic consequences, creates a commission
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