The list of victims of the Graphite software, produced by the company Paragon Solutions, used for alleged illegal surveillance operations, is growing longer. After journalists, activists and ship owners, this time the target is Don Mattia Ferrari, ship's chaplain for the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans. The prosecutors of Naples and Palermo, where Luca Casarini, head of mission of Mediterranea and also a victim of the spyware, was heard for over two hours today. The opposition is once again forcefully demanding explanations from the government: Elly Schlein, secretary of the Democratic Party, urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to "stop running away" and to commit to clarifying the situation.
According to Mediterranea, Don Ferrari was notified by Meta on February 8, 2024, that he had been the target of a “sophisticated attack supported by unidentified government entities,” the same day that Casarini also received a similar notification. The NGO emphasizes that this fact “suggests that they may have been targeted as part of the same group,” raising fears that other people, in addition to those already known, may have been involved in this surveillance operation. Mediterranea also recalls that Don Mattia “does not work in a purely individual capacity, but carries out a service in full communion and harmony with the ecclesiastical authorities.”
Casarini, interviewed today by investigators at the Police Cybersecurity Operations Center in Palermo, stated that his testimony served to "acquire information on the timing, methods, and how I learned I was being subjected to the spyware attack."
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The opposition returned to the charge with harsh tones. Elly Schlein defined the affair as “disturbing”, asking the government to reveal “which state entities authorized the installation of Paragon software on the spied cell phones”. Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, commented: “They also spied on Don Mattia, it’s crazy. And Meloni runs away without telling us who is responsible”. Riccardo Magi, secretary of +Europa, added that the situation “is taking on terrifying contours”, while Angelo Bonelli (Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra) spoke of a “real regime situation”, underlining that “now they even get to the point of intercepting the Church, exceeding all limits”.
The affair, which increasingly involves public and institutional figures, continues to raise questions about the responsibilities and limits of the use of surveillance technologies by state entities.
Comments (1)
Surveillance is a very complex topic, especially when it comes to public figures. The issue of privacy and government transparency should always be at the forefront, but it remains difficult to understand all the dynamics.