Adversary Intelligence — 2026-10-06

Moroccan Intelligence DGST Deployed Extensive Surveillance Against Journalists and Rights Defenders Using Pegasus

BLUFAmnesty's public attribution of Pegasus deployment to the DGST by name exposes Morocco to structured European legal and diplomatic consequences that blanket denials can no longer deflect.

Amnesty International's report, published October 1, identifies Morocco's DGST as the entity that deployed Pegasus spyware from September 2017, drawing on testimony from a former DGST employee using the pseudonym Safir, leaked records, forensic analysis, and interviews with ten targets 1. Amnesty matched 103 phone numbers entered in the Pegasus system between September and December 2017 to individuals, including 34 human rights defenders and 22 journalists or media workers 1. Safir described physical infection of devices, phones sold pre-infected through shops, and hidden microphones in journalist Omar Radi's apartment 1. Moroccan authorities did not respond to Amnesty's letter or to CPJ's request for comment 12; CPJ called on Morocco to end the surveillance 2, and Security Online relayed the findings on October 5 3.

Analysis
Rabat faces rising exposure to European litigation and diplomatic pressure now that Amnesty has publicly tied the DGST to Pegasus. Morocco's earlier blanket denials now sit against leaked targeting records, forensic attribution, and insider testimony, which adds corroboration to July's single-officer account of procurement through an Emirati intermediary. Everything traces to Amnesty, since CPJ and Security Online only amplify it, and the case leans heavily on one insider, Safir. The release may reflect Amnesty's and Forbidden Stories' campaign timing more than any operational shift, and Morocco could again prevail by denial alone. Pre-infected phones and hidden microphones show the apparatus extends beyond spyware, so patching or vendor changes will not end it. Morocco has not replied, so its response is not assessed.

3 sources

Morocco: Whistleblower Reveals How Authorities Used a Web of Surveillance to Silence Journalists and Activists - Amnesty International USA
CPJ urges Morocco to end press surveillance following Amnesty report - Committee to Protect Journalists
Moroccan Intelligence Deploys Vast Surveillance Panopticon - Security Online