Germany Rejects Morocco’s Lawsuit Against Media Over Spyware Allegations

 

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) dismissed two lawsuits filed by Morocco against Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung. The cases stemmed from 2021 reports alleging Morocco’s use of the Pegasus spyware.

Morocco claimed the articles violated its “national honor.” However, the court ruled that “a state does not possess personal honor or privacy rights,” which apply only to individuals.

The Sixth Civil Senate upheld earlier rulings from Hamburg’s Higher Regional Court, establishing that foreign states cannot seek legal protection against German media under personal rights law.

The reports were part of a 2021 international investigation by 17 media outlets, revealing surveillance of politicians, lawyers, activists, and journalists. The German papers reported suspicions that Morocco’s intelligence services had used Pegasus to spy on French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron.

Sources – Agencies