A Barcelona court has issued a landmark ruling allowing the prosecution of NSO Group’s co-founders, Omri Lavie and Shalev Hulio, alongside former executive Yuval Somekh. The trio faces potential indictment regarding the alleged surveillance of Catalan lawyer Andreu Van den Eynde using the company’s controversial Pegasus spyware.
Legal Breakthrough in European Surveillance Case
The decision follows an appeal filed by Iridia, a Barcelona-based human rights organization. While a lower court had previously dismissed the request to formally charge the executives and their associated entities, the higher court’s intervention has now cleared the path for criminal proceedings to move forward.
Iridia officially announced the breakthrough on Monday, marking a significant shift in how judicial systems approach the accountability of spyware developers.
Establishing Accountability for Pegasus
The implications of this ruling extend beyond the specific case of Andreu Van den Eynde. By enabling the personal indictment of high-level executives, the court is setting a rigorous legal precedent for how European jurisdictions handle allegations of illegal digital espionage.
“This ruling sets an important legal precedent in the fight against spyware espionage in Europe,” stated Iridia spokesperson Lucía Foraster Garriga. “The individuals involved will now be held personally accountable in court.”
Corporate Response
The legal developments have placed NSO Group under renewed scrutiny. When contacted regarding the court’s decision, NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lanier declined to provide a statement. Similarly, Omri Lavie, Shalev Hulio, and Yuval Somekh did not respond to requests for comment regarding the pending charges.