Catalan separatists spied on by Pegasus demand accountability from Madrid
The President of Catalonia Pere Aragonès, here on September 15 in Barcelona, is one of the separatists spied on by the Pegasus software.
AFP - LLUIS GENE
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
More than 60 Catalan separatists have been spied on by the Pegasus software over the past five years, according to revelations published Monday April 18 in the
New Yorker
.
This "Catalangate" outrages beyond the Pyrenees.
Advertisement
Read more
With our correspondent in Barcelona,
Élise Gazengel
“
A democratic state does not spy on its political rivals
”.
This is how the Catalan President, Pere Aragonès, began his speech, one of the 65 separatists spied on by the Pegasus software according to
this investigation by Citizen Lab published on Monday.
The Spanish intelligence services are directly implicated in the investigation.
Aragonès therefore demanded answers from the Spanish government: who is responsible?
By order of whom?
And who was aware of this massive espionage?
“
Spying of this magnitude does not go unnoticed, it had to be authorized and we therefore want it to be clarified for the political and legal responsibilities that will result from
it,” he said.
Besides, for him, relations between Barcelona and Madrid can't be normal anymore.
“
It's hard to trust someone who – apparently – is spying
on you ,” said the Catalan president.
“
Today, trust in the government and its institutions is minimal.
The Spanish government must give explanations and act with maximum transparency, until then we will not be able to resume normal political relations
,” he added.
And even if Madrid denies any involvement, the Catalan asks the President of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez to prove his good faith by opening an internal investigation and assuming the political responsibilities of this "Catalangate".
Finally, on a personal note, Pere Aragonès has declared that he will lodge a complaint, as other former political leaders such as
the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont
announced on Tuesday at a press conference in Brussels.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Spain
Catalonia
Pegasus