Omar Radi targeted by mercenary spyware
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Maghreb Emergent
Moroccan journalist Omar Radi received an Apple alert reporting a targeted intrusion attempt using mercenary spyware. The alert reportedly targeted his journalistic work, while Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero relayed the information and recalled Radi’s previous compromises, according to Maghreb Emergent.
Apple alerted Moroccan journalist Omar Radi to a targeted attack carried out with mercenary spyware against his device because of his identity and journalistic activities, Maghreb Emergent reports. The notification indicated that the attempt specifically targeted the journalist.
The alert was relayed by Ignacio Cembrero, a Spanish journalist specialising in the Maghreb who was himself a documented victim of Pegasus spyware. Omar Radi had already been targeted between 2017 and 2019 by infiltrations attributed to the programme developed by NSO Group, according to investigations by Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories. Arrested in Morocco in July 2020, he was sentenced to four years in prison before leaving the country for Europe after his release.
Apple regularly sends this type of notification to journalists, opponents and diplomats exposed to spyware. Politicians and investigative media figures, notably members of the European Parliament and Al Jazeera journalists, have also reported receiving similar alerts, Maghreb Emergent reports.
