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A28 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 25 June 2020
Amnesty says spyware used to monitor critics in Morocco

By AMIRA EL-MASAITI dissidents. It doesn't dis-
Associated Press close clients, but they are
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — believed to include Middle
Amnesty International said Eastern and Latin American
Monday that sophisticat- states. A Saudi dissident has
ed telephone surveillance accused NSO of involve-
software appears to have ment in Saudi journalist Ja-
been used to spy on a jour- mal Khashoggi's killing in
nalist-activist in Morocco, 2018. The company says it
in a continuing crackdown sells its technology to Israe-
on dissent in the North Afri- li-approved governments
can kingdom. to help them stop militants
The global rights watchdog and criminals.
said the intrusion continued The company is also em-
despite a pledge by the Is- broiled in legal battles over
raeli company behind the the spyware. In Israel, Am-
malware to abide by a set nesty is asking a court to re-
of human rights principles. voke the company's export
In a report, Amnesty said license, preventing it from
forensic analysis it car- selling its contentious prod-
ried out on the cellphone uct abroad, particularly to
of Omar Radi indicated regimes that could use it
that his communications for malicious purposes. Last
were monitored from Jan- In this March 5, 2020 file photo, journalist and activist Omar Radi speaks to the media after his year, Facebook sued the
uary 2019 using technol- hearing at the Casablanca Courthouse, In Casablanca, Morocco. Associated Press company in U.S. federal
ogy developed by Israeli court for allegedly target-
hacker-for-hire company leaders. Radi was handed Amnesty said the surveil- defenders, we believe Mo- ing some 1,400 users of its
NSO Group. Radi gained a four-month suspended lance methods it believes roccan authorities to be re- encrypted messaging ser-
prominence last year after jail sentence and a $50 were used to spy on Radi's sponsible," Amnesty said. vice WhatsApp with highly
he was arrested for a tweet fine. phone "require either physi- A government spokesman sophisticated spyware.
that defended anti-gov- Radi was also part of Arab cal proximity to the targets and the government's cen- Amid the backlash, the
ernment protesters. Spring demonstrations in or leverage over mobile ter that monitors IT attacks company said in Septem-
Radi was subsequently Morocco in 2011 that pro- operators in the country did not immediately re- ber that it would institute a
put on trial in March this tested corruption, abuse which only a government spond to requests for com- series of oversight measures
year, accused of insulting of power and limits on free could authorize." ment. NSO has come under to ensure adherence and
a judge with his tweet that speech, and he has since "Because of this, and the fire for selling its surveillance would henceforth evaluate
slammed prison sentences continued to defend hu- continued targeting of software to repressive gov- potential clients' "past hu-
handed down to protest man rights. Moroccan human rights ernments that use it against man rights performance."q

First vaccinations begin in Africa for COVID-19 trial

deaths. The country late gasong said Wednesday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize
Tuesday reported its big- with a steep increase in said.
gest one-day death toll of the number of cases and African leaders have been
111. deaths. outspoken about the conti-
"I feel a little bit scared but I "Unless we act now, Africa nent being elbowed out in
want to know what is going is at risk of being left behind the intense global compe-
on with this vaccine so that on the global vaccine," he tition for medical supplies
I can tell my friends and warned a continental dis- in this pandemic, as well
others what is going on with cussion and urged that lo- as what the World Health
the study," one of the vac- cal manufacturing and sci- Organization's Africa chief,
cine trial volunteers, Junior entific expertise play a key Matshidiso Moeti, called
Mhlongo, said in Johannes- role. the "distortion of the global
burg. Cameroon, Uganda, Tan- market for key items."
The African continent now zania, Kenya and South WHO chief Tedros Adha-
has nearly 325,000 cases as Africa all have highly de- nom Ghebreyesus urged

A vaccine volunteer gets an injection at the Chris Hani countries loosen restrictions veloped clinical trial ca- that the initial supply of
Baragwanath hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg Wednesday, under economic pressure pabilities, said Salim Ab- any COVID-19 vaccine be
June 24, 2020. from citizens who say they dool Karim, chair of South deployed where it's most
Associated Press have to feed their families. Africa's ministerial advisory needed, rather than based
Shortages of testing mate- committee for COVID-19. on the "ability to pay."
By CARA ANNA behind. The large-scale rials and medical supplies Many other sub-Saharan Tedros also announced
Associated Press trial of the vaccine devel- remain a problem as Africa African countries also have that as of this week, all 54 of
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Af- oped at the University of could become the world's clinical trial capacity, said Africa's countries now have
rica's first participation in Oxford in Britain is being next hot spot. Daniel Bausch, director of the lab capacity to test for
a COVID-19 vaccine trial conducted in South Africa, The pandemic was de- the UK Public Health Rapid the coronavirus.
started Wednesday as ner- Britain and Brazil. South Af- layed in Africa "but is pick- Support Team. In February, just two African
vous volunteers received rica has nearly one-third of ing up speed very quick- "We're not only needing nations could test for the vi-
injections, while officials Africa's confirmed cases ly," the Africa Centers for but capable of participat- rus. The continent's first virus
said the continent of 1.3 bil- with more than 106,000, Disease Control and Pre- ing" as the world races for case was reported on Feb.
lion people cannot be left including more than 2,100 vention chief John Nken- a vaccine, South Africa's 14.q