Jordan: Pegasus Spyware Attacks on Journalists in Jordan Raises Alarm
Over 30 people in Jordan, including journalists, media workers, lawyers, and members of civil society, hacked with Pegasus malware
Location: Jordan, Amman
Date: February 1, 2024
Women Press Freedom voices serious concerns over the use of Pegasus spyware against over 30 people, including journalists, media workers, lawyers, and civil society members, who have been targeted by this harmful software. We denounce the use of Pegasus malware as a tool to quell dissenting voices in journalism. We call for an immediate suspension of the sale, transfer, and use of such invasive surveillance technologies. Moreover, we demand a ban on spyware and its providers that enable human rights violations, and strongly urge the Jordanian authorities to initiate an investigation into its use within the country. It is crucial that those responsible for these espionage attempts are held accountable. Such actions not only infringe upon the privacy and rights of people but also have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Holding the perpetrators accountable is essential to ensure justice, protect human rights, and deter future abuses.
A joint investigation led by Access Now, Citizen Lab, and other partners has uncovered that between 2020 and 2023, at least 16 journalists and media workers in Jordan — along with 19 other people, including activists, lawyers, and civil society members — were targeted by Pegasus spyware. While the source of these attacks is undisclosed, four journalists mentioned in the report — Hosam Gharaibeh, Rana Sabbagh, Lara Dihmis, and Daoud Kuttab — believe their journalistic work made them targets of these attacks.
The report reveals that the phones of Sabbagh and Dihmis, who respectively serve as a senior editor and an investigative reporter covering the Middle East and North Africa for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), were hacked with Pegasus spyware.
Sabbagh, who is also the co-founder of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, expressed deep concern over the surveillance's impact on her sources, friends, and family. She says, "What bothered me most was the impact of the surveillance on my sources, friends, and relatives." She further explained that due to the nature of OCCRP's work, they are a major target for surveillance agencies. "They wish to keep crime and criminality hidden. We work to expose it. And with this type of work comes a very high price," she adds.
“What bothered me most was the impact of the surveillance on my sources, friends, and relatives”
Dihimis described the revelation as a significant breach, emphasizing that "as a journalist, it was a reminder of the importance of being cautious in terms of secure communication - to protect yourself but also your sources and colleagues." She added that the situation has also induced a great deal of paranoia on a personal level.
Access Now suggests that the current revelations may just be scratching the surface of Pegasus spyware use in Jordan, stating, "We believe the true number of victims is likely much higher." Marwa Fatafta, the organization's Director for the Middle East and North Africa, disclosed that at least 30 out of the 35 known targets were successfully hacked.
Among the targets were Adam Coogle, the deputy director for Human Rights Watch in the region, and Hiba Zayadin, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, specializing in Jordan and Syria. In an interview, Coogle stated that it's hard to conceive of any party other than the Jordanian government having an interest in hacking the people who were targeted.
The report also detailed multiple attempts to infect Dauod Kuttab's mobile device, a seasoned Palestinian-American journalist and columnist based in Jordan.
"I always assume that somebody is listening to my conversations," Kuttab said, acknowledging that being under surveillance "comes with the territory" of being a journalist in the Middle East.
"I will not be intimidated, and I will not censor myself. Whatever I know, I publish, but my only concern is my sources and their protection.” Kuttab adds.
Jordanian human rights lawyer Hala Ahed, who is recognized for her work defending women's and workers' rights as well as prisoners of conscience, was also a target of the Pegasus spyware. According to Access Now, Ahed was successfully targeted in March 2021 and then again, albeit unsuccessfully, in February 2023.
“I will not be intimidated, and I will not censor myself. Whatever I know, I publish, but my only concern is my sources and their protection”
The people in the report were targeted using Pegasus with both zero-click attacks, which allow spyware to take over a phone without the user’s knowledge, and attacks that require a user to click a link.
NSO Group, the Israeli firm that developed Pegasus spyware, stated that it “cannot confirm or deny which government agencies use our technology,” and added that it is “strongly committed to avoiding causing, contributing to, or being directly linked to negative human rights impacts.” They assert that it exclusively sells to thoroughly vetted intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and strictly for use against terrorists and serious criminals. However, cybersecurity researchers monitoring the spyware's deployment across 45 countries have documented numerous instances of politically motivated misuse of the software, ranging from countries like Mexico and Thailand to Poland and Saudi Arabia.
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the spyware attacks on journalists, considering them a clear violation of press freedom and a disregard for democratic values. We demand a comprehensive investigation into the use of Pegasus spyware against journalists in Jordan and the identification of those responsible for these espionage attempts. Accountability for such actions is crucial to safeguard press freedom, protect the rights of journalists, and uphold democratic principles.
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