Poland’s opposition leader Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that the government’s surveillance of its opponents is the country’s biggest “democratic crisis” since the end of communism.
Last week, a cybersecurity regulator stated that Pegasus spyware had been used to target prominent opposition figures. Polish media referred to the scandal as the “Polish Watergate Incident.”
“This is unprecedented in our history,” said Tusk, the former EU president and current leader of the Civic Platform Party. “This is the biggest and deepest democratic crisis since 1989.”
Tusk also called on the parliament to investigate allegations that Pegasus was used against Krzysztof Brejza, a member of his political party responsible for coordinating his 2019 election campaign.
Citizen Lab, the Canadian cybersecurity regulator, said Pegasus was also used against Roman Giertych, a lawyer involved in the law and justice (PiS) case against the ruling party, and Ewa Wrzosek, a prosecutor and opposition figure.
The smartphone targeted by Pegasus has essentially become a pocket spy device, allowing users to read the target’s messages, browse their photos, track their location, and even turn on their cameras without their knowledge.
Malware, by Israeli technology company NSO Group, Which fell into controversy after a cooperative investigation report by several media earlier this year The government uses Pegasus for surveillance Activist, journalist, lawyer and politician.
The Polish media likened these allegations to the “Polish Watergate Incident”—the scandal that led to the dirty political campaign that led to the resignation of former US President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that he was “not aware” of any wiretapping, but added that if confirmed, it “may be” proved to be the work of a foreign agent.
Stanislaw Żaryn, a spokesman for the Ministry of Secret Services, stated that the allegations that the Polish service “uses these methods in its operations for political purposes are wrong”.
He did not confirm or deny Poland I have used Pegasus, but said that he can only carry out “operations” in Poland after the request of the attorney general and court orders.
