Israeli firm rejects alleged connection to Khashoggi killing
Source: Associated Press
Josef Federman, Associated Press
Updated 7:46 pm CST, Monday, December 3, 2018
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli company known for its sophisticated phone surveillance technology on Monday rejected accusations that its snooping software helped lead to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The NSO Group has faced similar claims in the past that its products were used to stifle dissent in other countries. But the alleged connection to the Khashoggi killing is the most high-profile case to date, drawing new attention to the secretive company's business practices and the Israeli government's oversight of private defense contractors.
The latest case against NSO was spelled out in a lawsuit filed in an Israeli court Sunday by a Saudi dissident. In the suit, Omar Abdulaziz, a sharp online critic of the Saudi royals who lives in exile in Canada, said he was friends with Khashoggi and that their communications were monitored by the Saudis using NSO software.
Abdulaziz said he clicked on a link sent to his phone in June 2018 that exposed his mobile communications to Saudi authorities. The lawsuit says Abdulaziz faced increased harassment by Saudi authorities after he clicked on the link, including the detention of family members in Saudi Arabia.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Saudi-friend-of-Khashoggi-sues-Israeli-13438773.php