Human Rights Watch alleges targeting of its senior-most employee using Pegasus spyware

Human Rights Watch on Wednesday alleged its senior-most employee was targeted by the Israeli spyware to unearth the crucial investigation that she has been working. According to Associated Press, Israeli hacker-for-hire company NSO Group attacked the phone of Lama Fakih, the director of its Beirut office, last year. As per the Human Rights Watch, she has been working on several international assignments such as  Syria, Myanmar, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and the United States.

While speaking to The Guardian, Fakih said she was alerted by Apple on November 24, 2021 that her personal iPhone could be under state-sponsored attack. She said upon investigating by the HRW’s security team, they found that her phone was apparently affected by the spyware. According to Fakih, her phone was also got reviewed by Amnesty International’s Security Lab in which they came up with the same result. Quoting the analysis found by Security Lab, her phones had apparently been infected with Pegasus through a so-called “zero-” exploit. As per the Guardian, the “zero-” exploit enables operators of the spyware to contaminate a phone by ing on a suspicious link.

"Fakih, a dual U.S. and Lebanese citizen, was targeted on five occasions between April and August. Apple informed her of the breach on November 24, and forensic analysis by Human Rights Watch confirmed the presence of the software," read the statement released by the HRW.

"It is no accident that governments are using spyware to target activists and journalists, the very people who uncover their abusive practices. They seem to believe that by doing so, they can consolidate power, muzzle dissent, and protect their manipulation of facts," news agency AP quoted Fakih as saying. 

NSO said the company has no control over how its clients used the spyware

Meanwhile, when the Guadian contacted the Spyware agency to the allegations levelled by the HRW employee, they said the company has no control over how its clients used the spyware. Further, in a statement, the group reiterated that they sell their products only to government agencies for use against "serious crime and terror.' It is worth mentioning US President Joe Biden blacklisted the NSO Group and a lesser-known Israeli competitor last week after several reports red-flagged the use of spyware in several people including top defence officials. 

(With inputs from AP)