Pegasus: "A rogue state behavior", denounces Kamel Jendoubi, spied on by Saudi Arabia

Tunisian politician Kamel Jendoubi, here on August 28, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland.

He is the chairman of the UN group of experts on the war in Yemen.

AP - Salvatore Di Nolfi

Text by: Nicolas Feldmann Follow

3 min

According to the consortium of journalists Forbidden Stories, Tunisian Kamel Jendoubi's phone was infected with Pegasus spyware in 2019, while he was chairman of the UN group of experts on the war in Yemen.

The cyber intrusion was carried out by Saudi Arabia, at the head of a militarily engaged coalition against the Houthi rebels.

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RFI: What was your reaction when you learned that you had been targeted by the Pegasus spyware

Kamel Jendoubi:

From the start of my mission in 2017, I had apprehensions.

I suspected that our work would attract the attention of those involved in the conflict, and in particular that of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Three weeks ago, the Forbidden Stories consortium contacted me to tell me that they believed I may have been targeted by the

.

I accepted the scan of both my phones and then was confirmed that

.

It is rogue state behavior.

It is a questioning of the United Nations system which is supposed to fulfill a mission: to investigate war situations as is the case in Yemen.

What do you think the perpetrators of this cyber intrusion were looking for?

I don't know what they were looking for.

In my opinion, this kind of practice is unfortunately primarily aimed at investigators.

Those who travel on the ground, meet the victims, collect the testimonies, cross-check the information.

It is a way of identifying investigators and victims and then exerting pressure.

It also aims to intimidate us, to collect information about us and then use and disseminate it in order to denigrate or defame us.

► To read also: Alain Chouet (ex-DGSE): "When we have secret things to say, we say it on secret networks"

Did you feel any pressure during your mission?

Not directly. Our first report in 2018 was viewed as unfair by parties to the conflict, including the Arab coalition and Saudi Arabia. Our findings pointed to violations that could qualify as “war crimes”. Messages have been sent to us by certain Western diplomats to tell us that perhaps we should have waited before publishing it, so as not to be accused of being biased. However, we reported the facts in the most objective way possible, of all the actors present in this conflict. Another form of pressure has come from the smear campaigns carried out in Arabic on the internet and by media run by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. I was accused of bias, of being in the pay of Hezbollah (accused of supporting the Houthi rebels).They are very powerful networks.

What follow-up to this case?

I hope the

will take the necessary steps to protect investigative teams and groups around the world.

The United Nations must take stock of the data security systems of UN missions, commissions of inquiry and special rapporteurs.

This software has been sold to several countries.

If one state uses this practice, others can too.

We have to send strong messages to the States, and here to Saudi Arabia to make this stop.

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• Pegasus

• Saudi Arabia

• Yemen

• UN

• Defense