London (UK), 2 October 2026 (SPS) - Amnesty International revealed in a new report titled 'We Start by Judging: At the Heart of the Moroccan Surveillance Machine' a large-scale digital espionage and surveillance system used by the Moroccan occupation authorities against journalists and human rights defenders, notably Sahrawi activists.
The investigation relies on the testimony of a former member of Moroccan intelligence (pseudonym Safir), digital forensic analysis, and technical documents. It documents a central role played by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) and 'Maroc Telecom' in operating sophisticated spyware including 'Pegasus', 'Hacking Team', and 'FinFisher', as well as field tracking and wiretapping devices.
Amnesty emphasized that surveillance is not merely used to gather data, but serves as a systematic tool to fabricate charges, carry out arrests, and orchestrate smear campaigns through pro-government media-publishing private photos and correspondence to silence human rights defenders and criminalize their peaceful activism in Western Sahara.
Amnesty International called for the immediate release of those detained, an independent investigation into the Moroccan intelligence agency's violations, and an urgent global moratorium on the sale and transfer of surveillance technology to Morocco until human rights safeguards are established.
Related blogs
