Spain’s chief prosecutor at the Audiencia Nacional rejected an offer of direct evidence from a former Moroccan intelligence officer about the Pegasus spyware attack on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s phone. The envoy, representing Mehdi Hijaouy, once the number two in Morocco’s DGED, approached prosecutor Jesús Alonso with a deal that could have shifted the course of one of Spain’s most sensitive security investigations.
Hijaouy, detained in Spain on an Interpol warrant for alleged fraud, was willing to provide the complete 2.6 gigabytes of data taken from Sánchez’s device and those of four ministers, along with technical details and a list of targets. In return, he wanted to avoid extradition to Morocco. The information could have shed light on how the Pegasus operation worked and who was behind it, in a case stalled by a lack of international cooperation. ABC and other Spanish outlets reported the claims, which came from sources close to Hijaouy and have not been independently confirmed by judicial authorities.
Judge José Luis Calama, who has led the Pegasus investigation since 2022, repeatedly cited Israel's refusal to cooperate as the basic obstacle to progress in the case.
Alonso dismissed the offer during a short, tense meeting. Sources close to Hijaouy cited by ABC said the prosecutor ended the conversation within minutes, calling the matter "not of interest" and warning it would create "a problem for Morocco." Alonso and the envoy had known each other for over 25 years, but that made no difference. Days later, the envoy sent a formal email describing Hijaouy’s credentials and the intelligence he could provide. It covered jihadism and narcotrafficking, as well as information on the so-called Mocromafia.
Three weeks later, Alonso’s office replied. His secretary told the envoy to send the information to the investigating judge, following standard procedure. But judicial sources said the offer never reached Judge José Luis Calama. Calama had already voiced frustration over Israel’s refusal to respond to Spanish requests for information, leaving the investigation stalled and the government’s own role under scrutiny. Several Spanish outlets have reported that the lack of Israeli cooperation has blocked progress since at least 2023.
Hijaouy’s associates interpreted the prosecutor’s evasiveness as a sign that Spain was deferring to Moroccan interests. After two failed court appearances and a suspicious meeting with Spanish and Moroccan intelligence agents, Hijaouy fled the country under a false identity. He escaped by boat and private jet, travelling through Turkey to an undisclosed location. Spanish intelligence sources say his whereabouts are unknown and the case is considered highly sensitive.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has publicly stated in parliament that neither the CNI nor police have provided firm evidence linking Morocco to the Pegasus incident. He has said the same of the diplomatic service and the European Commission, adding that no international body has provided such evidence. This official position has been reiterated in response to ongoing political debates and media speculation.
The Spanish government’s response to the serious Pegasus breach has been marked by procedural deflection and diplomatic caution. The prosecutor’s office says referring potential informants to the investigating judge is standard practice. Yet the sensitivity of the material and the political stakes suggest a deliberate effort to avoid a clash with Morocco. Hijaouy’s camp points to other recent cases where Spanish authorities have downplayed or redirected issues involving Moroccan interests, including the border tensions in Ceuta.
Hijaouy’s background as a senior intelligence figure is well documented. He played a central role in Morocco’s external operations and was known to Western agencies, including the CIA. After falling out with Rabat, he began leaking information, from the identities of Moroccan agents to the property holdings of top officials. Information from those close to him, he aims to destabilize the regime of Mohamed VI in retaliation for his own persecution.
The Pegasus case remains unresolved. The Spanish judiciary never received the promised evidence, and the investigation into the hacking of Sánchez and his ministers remains stalled. The episode exposes the limits of Spain’s willingness to pursue uncomfortable truths when diplomatic relations are at risk. By declining to engage with Hijaouy’s offer, the government has signaled its priorities: maintaining the status quo with Morocco, even if questions about transparency and national security remain unanswered.
