Khashoggi widow files complaint in France alleging Saudi government infected devices with spyware
Summary
Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, widow of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has filed a legal complaint in France alleging her devices were infected with Pegasus spyware before her husband’s 2018 murder. The complaint — seen by Agence France-Presse and filed in a French court — says she routinely flew through France at the time her phone data was allegedly stolen, and cites research from Citizen Lab that found her two phones were infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus.
A French judge will decide whether to open an investigation. The complaint does not name a specific party, but Elatr Khashoggi’s lawyers say the interceptions are linked to the actions that led to her husband’s killing. Previous legal efforts in the US have faced jurisdictional hurdles: a Virginia suit against NSO was dismissed in 2023. NSO has been the focus of multiple legal actions and court orders concerning its use of messaging platforms and spyware infrastructure.
Key Points
- Hanan Elatr Khashoggi filed a complaint in France alleging her phones were infected with Pegasus spyware prior to Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
- Citizen Lab’s forensic work reportedly found Pegasus on both of Elatr Khashoggi’s phones.
- The complaint notes she frequently transited through France at the time of the alleged infections; a French judge must decide whether to probe the case.
- The suit stops short of naming a specific perpetrator in the filing seen by AFP.
- Previous US litigation against NSO Group by Elatr Khashoggi was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds; NSO has faced other major court actions restricting its use of messaging infrastructure.
Why should I read this?
Because this isn’t just another spyware story. It’s tied to a high‑profile murder, fresh legal moves in Europe, and firm forensic claims that Pegasus was used. If you care about state surveillance, accountability or how commercial spyware gets weaponised, this piece saves you the digging.
Context and Relevance
The filing links longstanding concerns about commercial spyware to one of the most notorious recent assassinations of a dissident journalist. It matters for several reasons: it could prompt a new judicial probe in Europe, it highlights the cross‑border nature of surveillance (phones infected while transiting through other countries), and it underscores ongoing legal and regulatory pressure on surveillance vendors like NSO Group. The case also ties into broader trends — greater scrutiny of offensive cyber tools, questions over vendor liability, and the diplomatic fallout when state actors are implicated in abuses.
Author style
Punchy: the piece is short, direct and legally focused. Given the gravity of the allegations and the forensic claims, it’s worth digging into the detail if you follow cyber policy, human rights law or nation‑state surveillance issues.