Former Catalan President Artur Mas has taken legal action against several high-profile figures from Spain's People's Party (PP), including ex-Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz and former PP Secretary General María Dolores de Cospedal, over allegations of political espionage and the misuse of Pegasus spyware. The lawsuit, filed last Friday, also implicates former Secretary of State for Security Francisco Martínez, senior National Police officers, and the company behind Pegasus, highlighting a broader controversy known as 'Operation Catalonia'.
According to Mas, his mobile phone was targeted by Pegasus spyware on numerous occasions between 2015 and 2020, a period that spans both PP and PSOE governments. A forensic report by Citizen Lab, affiliated with the University of Toronto, revealed that Mas's phone was infected 32 times, with the first incident occurring on July 7, 2015. These revelations have fueled accusations of a sustained campaign of surveillance against the Catalan leader during a politically sensitive time.
Mas's legal complaint alleges a range of offenses, including continuous criminal organization, falsification of official documents, misappropriation of public funds, disclosure of secrets, and violation of fundamental rights. While the lawsuit currently focuses on specific individuals, Mas has not ruled out extending it to include others, such as former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his deputy Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, should evidence of their involvement emerge.
The case has reignited debates over political espionage in Spain, with Mas framing his lawsuit as a contribution to the 'improvement of Spanish democracy'. As the judicial investigation progresses, the allegations could have significant implications for understanding the extent of surveillance activities during a tumultuous period in Catalan and Spanish politics.
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