They expose a “very critical concern” for the “intensive espionage” that “seems to be an interference” to the suitable to assemble peacefully This has been demanded by three United Nations particular rapporteurs on minority points Among these affected they cite Pere Aragonés, Junqueras’ lawyer and Raúl Romeva, Andreu Van den Eynde; Jordi Sánchez, former president of the ANC and Marta Rovira, amongst others
UN rapporteurs have addressed the Government of Spain, following a criticism by ERC, to request that inside 60 days it report on the alleged espionage carried out with the Pegasus system towards pro-independence leaders, to clarify the way it will restore these affected, will punish the responsible and stop it from occurring once more.
This has been demanded by three United Nations particular rapporteurs on minority points; the promotion and safety of the suitable to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceable meeting and affiliation, based on the press launch issued as we speak by ERC.
This communication responds to the knowledge obtained by the United Nations and despatched from Geneva by the final secretary of Esquerra Republicana, Marta Rovira, on behalf of the Republicans allegedly spied on and in coordination with the remainder of the organizations affected by the so-called ‘Catalangate’.
In the letter that accompanies the ERC press launch, dated October 24, 2022, the three rapporteurs state to the Government that they’ve obtained a communication denouncing the alleged espionage via using Pegasus and Candiru spyware and adware on a “giant variety of Catalan personalities and activists throughout the interval 2017-2020”.
“The victims of the advanced and complex espionage packages included Catalan leaders, members of the European Parliament, legislators, jurists and members of civil society organizations”, they specify and recall that this software program is offered solely to governments, based on its producer ( NSO Group, based mostly in Israel), and contaminated the digital gadgets of at the very least 65 folks with it.
Among these affected they point out Pere Aragonés, the lawyer of Junqueras and Raúl Romeva, Andreu Van den Eynde; Jordi Sánchez, former president of the ANC and Marta Rovira, amongst others.
Serious concern concerning the attainable violation of rights
After setting out the info, the rapporteurs categorical their “very critical concern” for what “is reported as an intensive and well-coordinated espionage program on activists and distinguished public figures of the Catalan minority.”
In his opinion, this alleged espionage “seems to be an interference along with his proper to have and freely categorical his views, alternate and impart data and concepts, to assemble peacefully and take part in associations, to have a non-public life and privateness in correspondence, and to be equal earlier than the legislation and entitled to equal safety of the legislation with none discrimination”.
The rapporteurs accompany their writing with an annex wherein the “references to worldwide human rights legislation” are collected. That stated, they keep in mind that their mandate is to “attempt to make clear the allegations” that ERC has offered to them.
To do that, they demand that the Government ship them inside 60 days: any data on the allegations talked about within the letter; all accessible data on official investigations into allegations of espionage; clarifications on the “connections” between espionage and the Spanish authorities; about how Pegasus might have been used towards “minority” Spanish residents if it was “supposedly” offered solely to governments.