Leading international media freedom organisations and journalists’ associations have joined forces to express their concern regarding the alleged surveillance of journalist Makarios Drousiotis and the perceived lack of a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
In a joint letter addressed to the Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus, George L. Savvides, Minister of Justice and Public Order, Anna Koukkides Procopiou, and Chief of Police, Stylianos Papatheodorou, these entities call for action to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for any wrongdoing.
The allegations of surveillance against Drousiotis, a Cypriot journalist known for his work exposing corruption within the government, came to light in a report by the European Parliament on the use of spyware, detailing how he was allegedly monitored by the state, starting in February 2018.
During this time, Drousiotis was serving as an assistant to the Cypriot EU Commissioner, Christos Stylianides, and was actively investigating financial connections between the then-President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and Russian oligarchs.
As the revelations about NSO Group’s operations in Cyprus emerged, along with suspicions that the country used NSO technologies, Drousiotis said he began noticing several indications that his phone may have been infiltrated with Pegasus spyware. These included missed WhatsApp calls, rapid battery depletion, and frequent overheating of his device even when not in use. He also reported incidents of intimidation, such as security cameras being disconnected at his residence and being followed by unidentified individuals.
“After going public with his story and filing a complaint with the Cypriot police, Drousiotis contacted a private security expert who – unbeknownst to Drousiotis – also appears to cooperate on various projects with the Cypriot Government. The expert installed software on Drousiotis’s computer, which, without his consent, allowed remote access to all archives and data stored on the machine. These included sensitive information identifying Drousiotis’s sources, who had wished to remain anonymous,” the joint statement writes.
Despite repeated appeals to the local authorities and continuous follow-ups by Drousiotis and his legal representatives, no progress in the investigation of the breach has been reported. However, a forensic laboratory in the Netherlands, which was provided with the same information shared with the Cypriot police, has independently documented the security breach as described in Drousiotis’s book titled “Mafia State: How the Gang Abolished the Rule of Law in Cyprus,” published in September 2022.
“It is wholly unacceptable that despite complaints to the authorities and repeated follow-ups by Drousiotis and his representatives, there has been no progress in the investigation and prosecution of these grave allegations,” the media organisations say.
“Intimidation, harassment and surreptitious surveillance of investigative reporters undermine their watchdog role and the protection of their journalistic sources, which are essential in a functioning democracy,” they add, calling upon authorities to take appropriate investigative measures and prosecutorial action.
“While respecting the confidentiality of the investigation, we also ask you to respect its basic transparency and duly inform the journalist and the public about the results. We stand in solidarity with Drousiotis and will continue to follow the case closely,” the statement concludes.
Signatories:
- ARTICLE 19 Europe
- Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
- European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
- European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
- OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
🇨🇾 We stand with our partners in demanding justice for journalist Makarios Drousiotis @makdrou. Alleged surveillance cannot go unchecked.@SavvidesGL, Ms. Koukkides Procopiou, Mr. Papatheodorou, it’s time for a thorough investigation and accountability.https://t.co/wkMoouyQMJ
— European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (@ECPMF) September 19, 2023
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