Saudi dissident: spyware helped in Khashoggi killing
681 views · Published 9 December 2018 · 2:48 · Indexed 10 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(3 Dec 2018) A Saudi dissident has filed a lawsuit against an Israeli surveillance company, claiming its sophisticated spyware targeted him and helped lead to the killing of his friend, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The suit, filed in a Tel Aviv court on Sunday, follows others previously filed against the company. But because of its links to the international outrage over the killing of Khashoggi, it is likely to shine a larger spotlight on the company and the Israeli government, which licenses the export of the surveillance technology. According to the lawsuit, Omar Abdulaziz, a sharp online critic of the Saudi royals and a resident of Canada where he has received asylum, said he was friends with Khashoggi and worked with him on a project meant to rein in pro-monarchy Saudi trolls. The lawsuit said Abdulaziz was notified that his phone was compromised by internet watchdog Citizen Lab, which says it has used an internet survey technique to identify suspected spyware infections linked to the Israeli company. Abdulaziz is demanding 600,000 shekels - about 160,000 US dollars - in damages from the company, as well as an order preventing it from selling its technology, known as "Pegasus," to Saudi Arabia. Alaa Mahajna, the human rights lawyer representing Abdulaziz's case, said he hopes that "bringing these cases or these stories in front of the whole world will put more pressure and will raise the awareness regarding (the NSO group) businesses." The company called the lawsuit "completely unfounded," saying it shows "no evidence that the company's technology was used". In an earlier statement it said: "We do not tolerate misuse of our products. If there is suspicion of misuse, we investigate it and take the appropriate actions, including suspending or terminating a contract." NSO has been under the spotlight for months as dissidents, journalists and other opposition figures have claimed the company's technology has been used by repressive governments to spy on them. These include Mexican and Qatari journalists who have already filed lawsuits against the company and an Amnesty International employee who was allegedly targeted by the software. Israel's Defence Ministry declined to comment on its export policies. Mahajna said the lawsuits aim to pressure "the Defence Ministry to put more strict criteria in order to prevent violation of human rights and journalists in the future". Abdulaziz plans to argue that his cooperation with Khashoggi was "a crucial factor" in the decision to have the US-based columnist for The Washington Post killed and that there was a direct link between the surveillance carried out on Abdulaziz and the slaying. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/50ce2043c6409a685aefc3ddfb701cd2
