Amnesty International has accused Morocco of operating a surveillance network targeting journalists, activists and other critics inside and outside the country, including French and Spanish politicians.
In a report published on Thursday, the London-based rights organisation alleged that Moroccan authorities had for years combined digital and traditional surveillance methods to monitor and silence critical voices.
The report detailed allegations involving spyware attacks, phone interception, hidden audio and video recordings, and the tracking of individuals’ movements.
Amnesty alleged that people had been secretly recorded in detention facilities, offices, vehicles and private homes, while telephone communications were also subject to surveillance.
The organisation further alleged that mobile phones had been sold with malware secretly installed by agents of Morocco’s domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
According to Amnesty, information obtained through the surveillance of activists and human rights defenders was subsequently used in public smear campaigns against them.
The rights group said the DGST had obtained surveillance technologies from Israeli, American and European companies.
Amnesty and other non-governmental organisations have previously accused Morocco of using Pegasus spyware, developed by Israeli technology company NSO Group, to target critics.
The latest report, Amnesty said, was based on testimony from a former Moroccan intelligence officer, leaked documents and findings from journalistic investigations.
It called on the Moroccan government to end surveillance targeting journalists and activists and establish an independent investigation into the activities of the DGST.
Moroccan authorities have repeatedly denied allegations that the kingdom uses spyware to conduct surveillance against its citizens.
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