Amnesty International says it stands by Pegasus Project’s findings

Non-governmental organisation Amnesty International on Thursday said that it categorically stood by the findings of the Pegasus Project, a global investigation about the alleged misuse of a spyware developed by Israeli firm NSO group.

The organisation issued the statement in response to “false allegations on social media and inaccurate media stories in relation to the Pegasus Project”.

“Amnesty International categorically stands by the findings of the Pegasus Project, and that the data is irrefutably linked to potential targets of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware,” it said. “The false rumours being pushed on social media are intended to distract from the widespread unlawful targeting of journalists, activists and others that the Pegasus Project has revealed.”

Amnesty International and Paris based non-profit Forbidden Stories had first accessed a leaked database of over 50,000 numbers which were of interest to NSO’s clients. The organisation shared the list with Indian news website The Wire and 16 other media organisations as part of the Pegasus Project. The investigation raises serious questions since NSO claims it only sells the spyware to governments.

The participants in this investigation have repeatedly clarified that not all the numbers were successfully snooped on but were potential targets of surveillance. Only a forensic analysis can determine if a device was infiltrated or subjected to…

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