EP committee in Cyprus to investigate spyware claims

A delegation from the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus (PEGA) and equivalent surveillance spyware arrives in Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon, as part of a joint mission in Cyprus and Greece.

The meetings will focus on investigating accusations that Predator has been used against journalists and politicians in Greece, while also looking into potential connections with Cyprus.

The delegation will be arriving in Nicosia late afternoon Tuesday and will meet with legal expert Elias Stephanou. Later, they will also meet with journalists Fanis Makrides and Makarios Droushiotis.

On Wednesday, the delegation will have a joint meeting with Minister for Energy, Commerce and Industry, Natasa Pilides, and with Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos, which will be held at the Ministry of Energy. The delegation will then meet with Attorney General George Savvides at his office in Nicosia.

At noon, the MEPs will meet at the House of Representatives with a delegation of members from the parliamentary committee on institutions, chaired by MP Demetris Demetriou, and the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, chaired by MP Nicos Tornaritis.

The delegation will then depart from Athens where they are expected to arrive late in the afternoon.

The MEPs participating in the mission are committee chair Jeroen Lenaers (EPP, Netherlands), rapporteur Sophia in ‘t Veld (Renew, Netherlands), Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (EPP, Spain), Elissavet Vozemberg - Vrionidi (EPP, Greece), Thijs Reuten (S&D, Netherlands), Róża Thun und Hohenstein (Renew, Poland), Saskia Bricmont (Greens/EFA, Belgium), Stelios KOULOGLOU (Left, Greece), Laura FERRARA (NI, Italy) and Lídia PEREIRA (EPP, Portugal).

In Athens on Wednesday, the delegation will meet with journalists that covered the issue extensively. On Thursday, the delegation will meet with Greek Minister of State George Gerapetritis as well as with representatives of the Hellenic Parliament’s former investigative committee, the Public Prosecutor’s office and the Hellenic Police. The delegation will also meet with politicians and journalists that were victims of surveillance.

On Friday, the MEPs will also meet with Greece’s Authority for Communication Security and Privacy, as well as representatives of NGOs and human rights organisations.