Phone calls of opposition activists wiretapped in Armenia

There have recently been some revelations, according to which various structures, including the state ones, used the Pegasus software to wiretap their political opponents and business leaders to further blackmail them, media expert Tigran Kocharyan said, reported from local media.

"There are suspicions that Pegasus was used in Armenia because the country has become a police state and some political figures are just paranoic in tracing people, wiretapping, and so on.

"None of us is secured because Pegasus is usually used secretly. The company never discloses the names of its customers and what their business is. Pashinyan could use this software for his own security," Kocharyan said.

The media expert added that Pegasus is usually not used to spy on ordinary citizens since it costs much.

The parliamentary faction leader, 'I have honor,' Artur Vanetsyan, claimed yesterday that his phone is wiretapped via Pegasus software. He said he received a due warning e-mail from Apple.

Pegasus is spy software that can be secretly installed on cell phones and other devices controlled by some versions of the mobile operating systems Apple iOS and Android. It was developed by Israel's NSO Group.

The software hacks phones from a distance, downloads correspondence, photos, and video, and activates cameras and microphones without the owners' knowledge.

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