A former Polish prime minister is set to testify before a special parliamentary committee 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.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, March 15, 2024
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
