Open letter to CJI seeks moratorium on use of Pegasus
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Women’s rights activists, human rights defenders and concerned citizens call call hacking episode an act of ‘state-sponsored cyber terrorism’
The Supreme Court must declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of Pegasus spyware in India and investigate the snooping scandal, women’s rights activists, human rights defenders and concerned citizens have urged Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana in an open letter to him.
“We believe that the Supreme Court can only instil confidence in people’s, and particularly women’s minds by transparently demanding and making public all answers relating to the use of Pegasus in India. Above all, we look to the Supreme Court to declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of Pegasus in India,” says the open letter with over 500 signatories, including Ayesha Kidwai, JNU Professor; Romila Thapar, historian; Harsh Mander, human rights activist; Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association; Vrinda Grover, senior lawyer; Lillette Dubey, actor & director.
Ranjan Gogoi issue
The letter also raises the issue of the woman who accused ex- CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment being snooped, as well as 10 mobile numbers linked to her family members being hacked.
“If the complainant was under such criminal duress at the time, can the proceedings of the In-House Committee really have been free and fair? The silence of the Supreme Court as an institution on these revelations is deeply troubling for women in India,” it states.
The letter calls the hacking episode an act of “state-sponsored cyber terrorism,” and asserts that the “Pegasus project and information in public domain raises concerns for the integrity of constitutional authorities including the independence of the Supreme Court. The investigation starkly discloses that the rights and freedoms of peoples, of which the Supreme Court is the guardian, are under grave risk”.
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