ERC registers request in Congress for commission of inquiry on Catalangate and Pegasus spyware 

Pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) has registered a request in the Spanish Congress to create a commission of inquiry into the Catalangate espionage scandal, and the use of Pegasus spyware targeting Catalan and Basque politicians, journalists, lawyers and activists. 

ERC want to find out the "involvement" of the Spanish state in the matter, which affects around 65 pro-independence figures, including current and former Catalan presidents Artur Mas, Carles Puigdemont and Pere Aragonès. 

The commission, requested on Thursday with the support of Basque and Galician parties EH Bildu and BNG, would also seek information on contracts involving the Israeli spyware.  

ERC hope to investigate Catalangate in its "entire extent" and facilitate "reparation" measures for those affected by the espionage program and privacy intrusion.  

If it goes ahead, the commission would complete its work within six months of its constitution, a timeframe that can be extended, and subsequently issue conclusions before the end of the first period of parliamentary sessions in 2024. 

Written conclusions would then be presented to Congress for debate and approval.  

European Parliament's call for investigation 

The European Parliament urged Spain in June "to conduct a full, fair and effective investigation" into Catalangate. 

A total of 411 MEPs voted in favor, 97 against and 37 abstained on approving a report on various espionage cases in the EU with spyware such as Pegasus, including a section with recommendations for Spain. 

In October, Catalan president Pere Aragonès spoke to the the European Union's Commissioner of Justice, Didier Reynders about the matter in Barcelona. 

Learn more about Catalangate by listening to our Filling the Sink podcast episode from May 2022 and read a more in-depth article on the consequences of the espionage scandal. 

Catalangate 

Catalangate is the name given by Citizen Lab, a research group based in the University of Toronto that reports on high-tech human rights abuses. They are responsible for launching an investigation into the espionage of several Catalan pro-independence politicians, activists and their close associates.  

It is "the largest forensically documented cluster of such attacks and infections on record," according to the New Yorker article published on April 18 of last year.  

Among the targets were Catalan president Pere Aragonès and every former Catalan president leading back to 2010. 

Victims' phones were infected using spyware programs Pegasus and Candiru. The former is known internationally for its previous infections of renowned people, such as murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and members of Rwanda’s opposition party. 

Candiru, founded by former NSO Group employees, is not as well known but performs a similar function as Pegasus.