Amnesty International released a report Thursday alleging the targeted use of Pegasus spyware against prominent Indian journalists, rekindling apprehensions about government surveillance and press freedom in the country, following the 2021 Pegasus project disclosures that sent shockwaves through India.

The report specifically highlights the cases of Siddharth Varadarajan, the founding editor of The Wire, and Anand Mangnale, South Asia editor for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Forensic analysis uncovered traces of Pegasus on their iPhones, with the latest incident dating back to October 2023. Amnesty International vehemently condemned the purported targeting, labeling it an “unlawful attack on privacy and a violation of the right to freedom of expression.” The organization called upon the Indian government to initiate an independent and impartial investigation, urging accountability for those deemed responsible. This development raises renewed concerns about press freedom and governmental surveillance in India. The government has denied involvement in the alleged Pegasus attacks, dismissing the allegations as “baseless” and “motivated.”

This report emerges amidst a global discourse on government use of spyware and in the context of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and recently enacted criminal laws aimed at reform, which have been criticized for increasing state surveillance and being ambiguous. Further, the Washington Post (WP) reported that, in response to Apple’s October alert about alleged hacking attempts on iPhones of independent Indian journalists and opposition politicians, Indian government officials swiftly retaliated against Apple.

While the Indian Supreme Court had previously established a committee to investigate the 2021 Pegasus Project allegations, the findings remain undisclosed.