EP Pegasus committee head: Pegasus spyware grossly abused in Hungary
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The head of the delegation of the European Parliament’s Pegasus committee visiting Budapest has said “everything indicates that [the Pegasus] spyware was grossly abused” in Hungary.
Jeroen Lenaers and rapporteur Sophia in ‘t Veld held a press conference after a two-day visit to Budapest, as part of an investigation in several member states into possible misuse of the Pegasus spyware developed by an Israeli company. Reports published in mid-2021 said some 300 Hungarians had been targets of surveillance.
Lenaers told the press conference many of the questions of the delegation had “remained unanswered”.
The Hungarian government rejected meeting the delegation shortly before its arrival, without giving proper justification, he said. He said Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga “chose to attack us with… conspiracy theories on foreign forces attacking Hungary”.
Lenaers, a Dutch MEP, said they received no explanation on why so many people had been wiretapped by Hungarian authorities. “Are demonstrators, lawyers and journalists really such a threat to public safety?” He said Hungarian authorities had cited national security concerns as a “blanket reason to target anyone…”
Lenaers said the practice ran afoul of EU legislation, and urged the Hungarian government to “follow EU law and safeguard fundamental rights and provide the citizens of Hungary with proper options for redress.” “Here in Hungary, it is clear that people feel that their basic rights are systematically violated,” Lenaers said.
EU has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Hungary. Pegasus should be used on all NGOs financed by foreign entities. Well done, Hungary. The committee should just shut up. They did not get the real evidence from the government.