Former Polish PM Kaczynski questioned over spyware allegations in parliament

Former Polish prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski appeared before a special parliamentary committee Friday to testify about his government’s purchase and allegedly illegal use of advanced spyware

Poland Spyware (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A former Polish prime minister is set to testify before a special parliamentary committee Friday about his government's purchase and allegedly illegal use of advanced spyware.

The NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was used to spy on mobile devices belonging to opponents of the governing Law and Justice Party. Recent findings suggest it was also used to eavesdrop on some key members of the right-wing party, as well.

The revelations, first reported by the Associated Press in 2021, shocked Poland and added to the European Union's concerns that the Law and Justice government was undermining the rule of law.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski was prime minister in 2006-2007, but continued to play a key role in Poland’s politics after leaving the job office, especially when his Law and Justice party ruled again in 2015-2023. He was considered Poland's most powerful politician during the period the spyware was used and held a variety of posts, including deputy prime minister for security.

In January 2022, Kaczynski, 74, acknowledged that the country bought advanced spyware from the Israeli surveillance software maker, but denied that it was being used to target his political opponents.

The opposition leader insists he has nothing to tell the investigative commission and has insisted that many countries use spyware to combat crime.

Current prime minister Donald Tusk has said the previous government used Pegasus illegally and targeted a “very long” list of victims.

Pegasus gives operators complete access to a mobile device, allowing them to extract passwords, photos, messages, contacts and browsing histories, and to activate the microphone and camera for real-time eavesdropping.

Law and Justice lost power in December, following an electoral defeat, and a new parliament dominated by a pro-EU coalition has set up a special commission to dig into the previous government's use of the spyware.