Spying on Democracy: Belgium’s Espionage Allegations
Revelations have come to light exposing Belgian intelligence’s utilization of three distinct software programs for hacking the phones of diplomats and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Among these, one is the notorious Israeli NSO Pegasus software, while another originates from Finland. The third software also hails from Israel. These revelations have shed light on Belgium’s historical involvement in hacking and espionage activities.
NSO Pegasus is one of the software that Belgian intelligence is reported to be using to hack phones of diplomats and other targets. This spyware tool is designed to infect phones running either iOS or Android operating systems and can harvest more or less any information or extract any file. Once deployed, the user of Pegasus spyware can take complete control of a person’s phone, accessing messages, intercepting phone calls, and using the phone as a remote listening device.
For instance, the targeting of Eva Kaili, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), in the Qatargate scandal resulted in her facing arrest and potential imprisonment by Belgian authorities. Kaili vehemently denies any allegations of accepting bribes and maintains her innocence. However, her arrest has brought to the surface a series of shocking revelations, including suggestions of Belgium’s government involvement in spying and possible political motives behind her detention.
Kaili’s work, which involved investigating the illicit use of Israeli NSO Pegasus software in Europe, has exposed the darker side of Belgium’s secret services and their extensive surveillance activities. As a result, Kaili and her colleagues have become targets of the Qatargate conspiracy due to their efforts to uncover these covert practices. It appears that Belgium’s secret services singled her out because she possessed significant knowledge about the hidden workings of their operations.
Furthermore, she contends that her actions put her squarely in the crosshairs of Europe’s own governments. She revealed, “From the court file, I have discovered that the Belgian secret services have allegedly been monitoring the activities of members of the Pegasus special committee,” in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera.
She emphasized, “The fact that elected members of Parliament are being spied on by Belgian secret services should raise more concerns about the health of our European democracy.” She went on to assert, “I think this is the ‘real scandal.'”
These revelations regarding Belgian intelligence’s use of advanced software, including the notorious NSO Pegasus, for hacking diplomats and MEPs’ phones have brought to the forefront a troubling history of hacking and espionage activities. NSO Pegasus, known for its invasive capabilities, has become a tool of choice for Belgian intelligence, allowing them to intercept communications and gain unprecedented access to sensitive information.
Most alarmingly, the revelation that elected members of Parliament have been under the surveillance of Belgian secret services underscores significant concerns about the state of European democracy. As calls to defend the European Parliament and its members grow louder, the need to address these unsettling revelations becomes ever more crucial in ensuring the integrity of democratic processes and safeguarding individual freedoms.
