Italy: Migrants rights activist targeted by spyware attack
David Yambio, a critic of Italian President Meloni and a former migrant detained in a Libyan prison has revealed that his phone was targeted by a spyware attack.
According to the Guardian on January 12th, the co-founder and President of NGO Refugees in Libya, David Yambio’s work involves providing evidence to the International Criminal Court of cases of abuse and torture in detention camps and prison in Libya.
As a former detainee of the camps himself, the South Sudanese native has been a vocal critic of the Italian government’s recent decision to release Libyan police chief Osama Najim and of Italy’s partnership with Libya on migration.
In an email from Apple, Yambio was informed that he was being targeted by “a mercenary spyware attack” that was attempting to “remotely compromise the iPhone associated with [his] Apple account”. The message said the attack “is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do”.
Along with an Italian investigative journalist and two activists critical of Italy’s relationship with Libya, he is among the 90 persons that were contacted by WhatsApp to inform them they were targeted by a spyware.
WhatsApp has revealed that the spyware used to target the activist – as well as activists and journalist globally – is owned by Paragon solution, an Israeli firm.
Paragon terminated his contract in Italy for breach of agreement, as the company forbids the use of the spyware to targets journalists and members of civil society.
President Giorgia Meloni’s office has denied that Italian intelligence services were responsible for the alleged breach.
Citizen Lab, a cyber security group defending civil society run by University of Toronto stated it is currently investigating the case. Any evidence of spying could be prosecuted as witness tampering by the ICC, as per the statute of Rome.
The campaigner describes living “under constant threat” after finding out about the spyware attack and not knowing where to address his concerns: “I do not know where it’s coming from, which government [is involved]. I live in Italy, I don’t live in any other country. So who should I hold accountable?”
Despite all, he will attend a press conference organised in the European Parliament about Osama Najim’s prosecution. The ICC said that it has officially requested the Italian government to explain its decision to release the Libyan police commander instead of extraditing him to the Netherlands where he is to be judged.
The Guardian, Maghrebi.
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