Stories
Mercenary spyware is an invisible weapon that shatters lives. It is used to intimidate, silence, and control. The victims are not abstract statistics; they are journalists, lawyers, activists, parents, and children whose fundamental rights have been violated. These are some of their stories:
Hatice Cengiz
Turkey • 2018In the days after her partner, journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was assassinated, Hatice Cengiz's phone was infected with Pegasus spyware. Forensic analysis confirmed she was targeted on October 6, 9, and 12, 2018. The spyware was used to intimidate and watch her while she was grieving
Cecilio Pineda Birto
Mexico • 2017Cecilio Pineda Birto was an investigative journalist reporting on government corruption in Mexico. His phone was selected as a Pegasus target just weeks before he was murdered on March 2, 2017. His case shows how spyware is used against journalists who pay the ultimate price for telling the truth.
Carine Kanimba
Rwanda/USA • 2020-2021Carine Kanimba's iPhone was infected with Pegasus spyware in 2020 and 2021 while she was fighting for the release of her kidnapped father, Paul Rusesabagina. The Rwandan government used the spyware to listen to her private conversations, track her location, and watch her during confidential meetings. Her phone was turned into a tool to work against her family's fight for justice.
Ewa Wrzosek
Poland • 2020Ewa Wrzosek is a Polish prosecutor and a member of Lex Super Omnia, a group that supports an independent judiciary. Her phone was hacked with Pegasus six times between June and August 2020. The state surveillance started right after she was suddenly taken off a case where she was investigating the safety of presidential elections during the pandemic.
Jordi Sànchez
Spain • 2017Jordi Sànchez, a university professor and former president of the Catalan civil society group ANC, was a major target of Pegasus spyware. Forensic analysis confirmed his phone was successfully infected at least four times between May and October 2017. These attacks often happened during important political moments, with one occurring just days before he was arrested.
Gonzalo Boye
Spain • 2020Gonzalo Boye is a lawyer who represents well-known Catalan political figures. He was targeted with Pegasus spyware at least 18 times, and his phone was successfully infected around October 30, 2020. This happened just 48 hours after one of his clients was arrested, creating a serious violation of attorney-client privilege and the right to a fair defense.
Thanasis Koukakis
Greece • 2020Financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis was reporting on sensitive topics in Greece when his phone was wiretapped by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) in 2020. His device was also infected with Predator spyware. The surveillance was directly connected to his reporting on financial scandals and controversial banking laws.
Rona Jacob Wilson
India • 2018Rona Jacob Wilson, a civil rights activist in India, has been in prison since June 2018 because of evidence that was planted on his computer. A digital forensics investigation found that an attacker used NetWire malware to put incriminating files into a hidden folder on his device. This shows how spyware can be used to create false evidence to frame and imprison activists.
A tool to fight crime and terrorism?
Data shows otherwise.
Journalists
Human Rights Defenders
Elected Representatives
Lawyers
Business Leaders
Blockchain Developers