Algeria Gate: Despite repeated official denials, Morocco has become one of the most aggressive users of advanced spyware to monitor and suppress journalists, activists, and dissidents, both at home and abroad.
A new investigation by Forbidden Stories, in collaboration with Amnesty International’s Security Lab and international media partners, draws on rare insider testimony, previously unpublished internal documents, and technical evidence to expose the inner workings of Morocco’s surveillance state. At the center of this operation is Pegasus, the notorious spyware developed by Israel’s NSO Group.
Key Revelations
- A former agent of Morocco’s domestic intelligence agency (DGST) provides a detailed firsthand account of mass surveillance operations.
- Internal documents reveal pre-infected phones distributed to activists, compromised internet cafés, and the extensive use of Pegasus.
- The investigation identifies senior DGST officials involved in these operations and publishes the first images of Pegasus’s user interface as seen by Moroccan operators.
The Case of Omar Radi
Journalist Omar Radi became a prime target of the Moroccan security services after investigating corruption and land grabs linked to associates of King Mohammed VI.
Long before his 2020 arrest in Casablanca, Radi’s life was under constant watch: his home was bugged, his movements tracked, and his contacts monitored. When police finally detained him, they immediately seized his iPhone. Unable to unlock it on the spot, they used Cellebrite forensic software to extract its data.
Radi was later sentenced to six years in prison on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. He was pardoned in 2024. Forensic analysis later confirmed he had been infected with Pegasus spyware.
According to the former DGST agent (referred to as Safir), traditional surveillance methods proved insufficient against cautious targets like Radi. “Pegasus was the final tool; one of the most powerful,” he said.
From Hacking Team to Pegasus
Before adopting Pegasus in late 2017, the DGST used spyware from Italy’s Hacking Team (Remote Control System or RCS). Agents infected dozens of new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge phones and distributed them at discounted prices to activists in the Rif region during protest movements. They also compromised internet cafés frequented by targets.
When Pegasus became available, it represented a major upgrade: zero-click infection capability meant targets could be compromised simply by receiving a missed call, with no interaction required. The system’s web-based console allowed operators to easily access calls, messages, location data, photos, and even remotely activate microphones.
Morocco reportedly selected nearly 13,000 phone numbers for potential targeting, including high-profile figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, French journalists, and Algerian officials.
Inside the DGST’s Spy Unit
The operation was reportedly led by senior DGST figures, including Abdeljalil Taki, who heads the spyware department, and Mohammed Raji, described by some as the architect of Morocco’s phone-tapping program and a close associate of powerful intelligence chief Abdellatif Hammouchi.
Even DGST agents tested the software on their own phones before deploying it more widely.
Denial vs. Evidence
Morocco has consistently denied using Pegasus. However, technical analyses by Amnesty International and French authorities, along with the new insider testimony and documents, strongly contradict these claims. The same Apple infrastructure used against Moroccan journalists was also linked to operations targeting French and Spanish figures.
The investigation highlights how the kingdom has used these tools not only against domestic critics but also against perceived foreign adversaries, while maintaining strong diplomatic ties ; particularly with France following its recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
This latest exposé, published five years after the original Pegasus Project, offers an unprecedented look inside one country’s addiction to digital surveillance as a tool of control, and the human cost paid by those who dare to speak out.
