Citizen Lab says Pegasus spyware infected former MEP Stelios Kouloglou while he investigated spyware abuse in the European Parliament.

A former member of the European Parliament who helped investigate the misuse of commercial spyware was himself secretly targeted with Pegasus, according to a new investigation by Citizen Lab.

Researchers found that Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek journalist and former MEP, had his iPhone compromised at least three times between October 2022 and March 2023. During that period, he served on the European Parliament’s PEGA Committee, which was examining allegations that governments had used spyware to monitor journalists, activists and political opponents across Europe.

The timing has raised fresh concerns about who may have been behind the surveillance. The reported infections occurred while the committee was carrying out its work, meaning anyone with access to the device could potentially have viewed messages, emails and other sensitive information linked to the investigation.

Citizen Lab was unable to identify the government responsible for the attack. However, researchers said technical evidence points to the same Pegasus operator previously linked to surveillance targeting Russian and Belarusian journalists and opposition figures living in Europe. They also believe the operator was licensed to deploy the spyware in both Belgium and Greece, though the report stops short of naming a specific country.

Kouloglou said he was deeply concerned to learn that his phone had been compromised while he was serving on the committee. He argued that the case highlights the ongoing risks posed by commercial spyware, even for elected officials tasked with investigating its use.

Pegasus, developed by Israeli company NSO Group, is marketed to governments as a tool for investigating serious crime and national security threats. Over the years, however, the spyware has repeatedly been linked to allegations of unlawful surveillance involving journalists, politicians, lawyers and human rights advocates around the world.

Citizen Lab says the case underscores the need for stronger safeguards to protect lawmakers and other public officials from advanced surveillance tools. The researchers warn that if a member of the Parliament’s spyware inquiry could be successfully targeted, others handling sensitive government information could face similar risks.

The findings are likely to add further pressure on European institutions to strengthen oversight of commercial spyware and tighten the rules governing its use.

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