Catalangate: EFA MEPs demand answers about their espionage
The findings of Pegasus exposed how Greens/EFA MEPs Jordi Solé and Diana Riba i Giner were spied on by the NSO Group’s surveillance spyware technology.
Today in plenary, the members of the European Parliament debated the latest revelations. Last week it came to light that Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister and Margarita Robles, Minister of Defense, had allegedly been a victim too of the espionage, but their own political party, PSOE, the major party of the government executive, failed to establish an investigation committee around Pegasus.
The Greens/EFA MEPs fought for an Inquiry Committee on Pegasus that was established on the 19th of April, and where Diana Riba i Giner was selected Second Vice-chair of the Committee.
EFA Group President, Jordi Solè said:
”We have governments in the EU that like to play spies. Worse still: they like to practice political espionage.”
“Democracies, when they are not taken care of, deteriorate. There is a fine line between a solid democracy, which guarantees rights and freedoms at all times, and a democracy that in certain cases violates rights and freedoms.”
“Every time this line is crossed and no action is taken, every time we look the other way, the governments that protect these violations feel that they have more impunity to continue to erode the foundations of democracy. “
“I was one of the 65 Catalan pro-independence supporters who were victims of Pegasus. I have most probably been spied on by the Spanish secret services. “
“Who gave the order to violate my right to privacy, and that of my family?”
“There are no first and second-class spies. There are no governments that are less bad spies than others. The Commission must demand explanations from all governments that have illegally used Pegasus.”
Second Vice-Chair of the Pegasus Inquiry Committee Diana Riba i Giner, and Parliamentary ERC Spokesperson said:
“I was spied on by Pegasus when I was an MEP. My political rights, your political rights, have been violated and the integrity and independence of this House has been compromised.”
“My case is not unique, of course. Hundreds of journalists, activists, politicians, including colleagues in this Parliament, have also been victims. And now we know that the Spanish Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence have also allegedly been victims.”
“The Spanish government has no choice but to report who is using it in the state, how it is being used, against whom and what is being done with all this stolen information.”
“The greatest opposition, the greatest resistance to these authoritarian dynamics in Spain is the independence movement. This is why
we are imprisoned, economically ruined and spied on."
“I would like to appeal to the European institutions. Stand by those who fight for democracy, transparency and fundamental rights. Not only in Poland and Hungary. But in the whole of Europe.”
