After two years in exile, Mehdi Hijaouy—the former deputy chief of Morocco’s external intelligence service (DGED)—has broken his silence in an interview with the French weekly Le Canard Enchaîné, offering a detailed account of how Morocco’s leadership authorized the use of Pegasus spyware and orchestrated the 2024 migrant assault on Spain’s Ceuta border. Hijaouy, who fled Morocco for Spain in 2024 and is identified in journalistic investigations as “SAFIR,” claims direct knowledge of the operations that hacked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s phone and extracted sensitive government data.
The Architects: El Himma and Hammouchi
According to Hijaouy, the planning behind the Ceuta border assault was directed by Fouad Ali El Himma—King Mohammed VI’s closest advisor, often dubbed the “viceroy” for his de facto control over daily governance—and executed by Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of Morocco’s domestic intelligence (DGST) and national police. Hijaouy describes El Himma as the true ruler of Morocco, noting that the king spends significant time in Paris while El Himma manages state affairs from Rabat. Hammouchi, a close ally of Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, was awarded the Grand Cross of the Civil Guard by Marlaska in 2025—despite being identified by Hijaouy as the official responsible for deploying Pegasus against Spanish institutions.
Pegasus: Israeli Software, Moroccan Operations
Hijaouy confirms that Morocco acquired the Pegasus spyware from Israel’s NSO Group and that the program was used to surveil foreign governments, including Spain and France. He asserts that after his defection, he provided Spain’s National Intelligence Center (CNI) with technical details on how Moroccan agents exploited Pegasus to infiltrate Sánchez’s mobile device and extract classified information. The software, owned by an Israeli firm, became a tool of state coercion, enabling Rabat to monitor European leaders, journalists, magistrates, and business figures.
Jabaroot Leaks and the “70,000 Spies” Dossier
In April 2025, the hacker collective Jabaroot began publishing what it described as the personal data of 70,000 Moroccan security personnel—including agents operating in Europe. While Hijaouy’s lawyers have denied his involvement, multiple sources suggest he either collaborates with or has supplied information to Jabaroot. The leak explicitly named El Himma and Hammouchi as the planners of the Ceuta assault and hinted at the imminent release of Pegasus archives containing the contents of Sánchez’s hacked phone. Hijaouy is widely believed to retain these files as a form of “life insurance”—ensuring his safety by threatening their disclosure should he suffer harm.
Spain’s Strategic Silence
Morocco issued an extradition request for Hijaouy in late 2024 on fraud charges, which his legal team dismisses as politically motivated. Spanish authorities informed him of the request but declined to detain or extradite him, allowing him to disappear from public view shortly thereafter. This decision is attributed not only to his value as a witness in the Pegasus investigation but also to Spain’s interest in preventing the release of compromising intelligence extracted from Sánchez’s phone—information that neither Madrid nor Rabat wishes to see made public.
Geopolitical Stakes: Blackmail, Bribes, and Intelligence Sharing
Hijaouy’s testimony suggests that Pegasus-derived data has been used to blackmail EU parliamentarians, officials, and economic actors susceptible to Moroccan influence. With reports indicating that Mossad and the CIA also possess similar intelligence, the scandal reveals a broader pattern in which allied states deploy commercial spyware to monitor partners, extract concessions, and manipulate democratic processes. The potential release of the full Pegasus archives threatens to trigger a political earthquake across Europe, exposing not only those who were spied upon but also those who orchestrated the surveillance.
Why It Matters
Hijaouy’s account transforms the Pegasus affair from a technical breach into a geopolitical crisis, illustrating how authoritarian allies exploit democratic openness, weaponize migration, and leverage surveillance to coerce neighbors. At stake is the integrity of European institutions, the credibility of intelligence partnerships, and the rule of law in an era where spyware knows no borders.
As Jabaroot continues to dangle the prospect of releasing the full Pegasus archives, the region braces for further disclosures that could reshape alliances, topple careers, and redefine the boundaries of state-sponsored cyber espionage.
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