Spain Again Closes Investigation into NSO Group's Pegasus Spyware

Closure of the Pegasus Spyware Investigation

MADRID, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Spain's High Court on Thursday closed its investigation into the use of Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group's "Pegasus" software to spy on Spanish politicians, citing a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities.

Background of the Investigation

The investigation was launched after the Spanish government disclosed in 2022 that NSO's spyware had been used to spy on members of the Spanish cabinet, sparking a political crisis that led to the resignation of the country's spy chief.

Challenges in the Probe

Officials did not clarify whether domestic or foreign entities were linked to the espionage, whose targets included Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and several ministers.

NSO Group's Position

Investigating judge Jose Luis Calama said he was unable to advance the probe into the alleged spying on politicians because a lack of response to requests for information from Israel meant there was no identifiable suspect.

NSO has always denied wrongdoing, saying the software, which it licences to governments after Israeli government approval, is intended to fight crime and protect national security and that it cannot monitor how it is used. Israel says its role is limited to export licences rather than day-to-day operations. The Israeli government and NSO did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Calama had previously closed the investigation in 2023, also citing a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities. He reopened it in 2024 following details provided by France regarding its own probe into Pegasus' use in 2021 to target reporters, lawyers, public figures, and French government and political officials.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; additional reporting by Pesha Magid and Steven Scheer; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)