Pegasus has been spying on Azerbaijani journalists and activists over years

Baku/19.07.21/Turan: Politicians, journalists and lawyers have been monitored in a number of countries with the help of the Israeli Pegasus program developed by NSO Group, the French NGO Forbidden stories and 17 media outlets from different countries reported on July 18.

Note that human rights activists and journalists managed to get a list of tapped mobile phones containing 50, 000 numbers. It should be noted that the wiretapping has been underway since 2016. A list of phone numbers does not indicate owners of the phones; however, journalists succeeded in identifying above 1000 people from more than 50 countries, including even members of Arab royal families, 65 businessmen, 85 human rights protection activists, 189 journalists and more than 600 politicians and officials.

Potential clients of NSO Group are recognized Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Togo and the United Arab Emirates, according to a report on the website of Amnesty International on July 18.

It is worth reminding that of 245 phones in Azerbaijan that are monitored by the authorities with the help of Pegasus there are 50 phones belonging to correspondents, editors and owners of media structures.

Among them, 5 former and current employees of Radio Azadlig; 5 journalists who cooperate with MeydanTV; 9 journalists from the newspaper "Azadlig".

Of interest is the fact that among those who monitored by special services, there are also former opposition journalists currently working for the authorities.

In general, the list includes heads of the well-known Azerbaijani media: Mehman Aliyev (Turan agency), Elchin Shikhly (Aina-Zerkalo), Arif Aliyev (New Generation journalistic organization), Eynulla Fatullayev (Haqqın.az), Mirshakhin Agayev (Real TV channel), Vahid Mustafayev (former ANS), Vusala Mahirgizi (APA agency), Aynur Jamal gyzy (Publika.az), Ganimat Zahid (Azadlig newspaper), Bahaddin Khaziyev (Bizim Yol newspaper), Elkhan Shukyurlu (strateq.az), Avaz Zeynalli ("Khural"), Anar Orujev (founder of "Channel 13"), Aziz Orujev (director of "Channel 13"), Rauf Arifoglu (founder of "Yeni Musavat"), Azer Ayhan (editor-in-chief of Yeni Musavat). Besides, the list includes names of 40 activists and their family members, including blogger Mehman Huseynov, Ilkin Rustamzade, Fatima Movlamly, Bayram Mammadov (deceased) and Giyas Ibragimov, as well as Mammadov's father and Ibragimov's mother.

Also, the list also includes well-known human rights protection activists: Intigam Aliyev, Rasul Jafarov, Arzu Abdullayeva, Saida Gojamanli, Saadat Bananyarli. -06D-