Luca Casarini, mission chief and founder of NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans, announced on Thursday that he will file a criminal complaint with prosecutors in Rome or Palermo. This over the alleged use of military-grade hacking software by Paragon Solutions to spy on 90 individuals, including himself.
“The legal team of Mediterranea Saving Humans is working on a complaint,” Casarini stated. “We will ask investigators to determine what happened and who ordered the surveillance of my phone through the Paragon software.” He confirmed that the complaint would be submitted to the State Attorney’s offices in Rome, Palermo, or both.
On Wednesday, Mediterranea Saving Humans said Meta, which operates WhatsApp, had officially informed Casarini that his phone had been compromised in a “high-level spyware operation” using one of the world’s most advanced surveillance tools.
In an exclusive report, The Guardian revealed that Paragon Solutions had terminated its contract with Italy after its hacking software was allegedly used to target journalists and activists in two dozen countries. The decision reportedly came less than a week after WhatsApp disclosed that Paragon’s software had been deployed against individuals in Italy. They included Fanpage editor-in-chief Francesco Cancellato and Casarini.
A source cited by The Guardian said Paragon initially suspended its contract with Italy “out of an abundance of caution” when allegations first surfaced. The full termination followed on Wednesday, after the company determined that Italy had breached its contractual terms and ethical guidelines.
Government denies any involvement
On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office at Palazzo Chigi confirmed that seven Italian citizens had been targeted. The government has denied any involvement by domestic intelligence services or the executive in the alleged breaches.
Paragon Solutions develops cyberweapons for government clients, intended for crime prevention. However, The Guardian reported that it remains unclear whether a specific government client was responsible for the alleged attacks.
European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said on Thursday that national authorities, not the EU executive, are responsible for investigating such claims. He emphasised that “any attempt to illegally access the data of citizens, including journalists and political opponents, is unacceptable, if proven.” He also noted that the European Media Freedom Act includes specific protections for journalists.
