Poland's Kaczynski admits country bought Pegasus but denies spying on opponents
The leader of Poland's ruling party has admitted that the country bought Pegasus spyware but has denied that it was used to target political opponents.
In an interview, Jaroslaw Kaczynski stated that security services in many countries have used the sofware to combat crime and corruption.
Poland's government has faced intense pressure this week to investigate claims that Pegasus was illegally used to hack opposition politicians.
The advanced spyware is owned by the Israeli surveillance software maker NSO Group -- who says pegasus can be used by authorities to fight criminal activity.
But an investigation in July found that Pegasus was used by European governments to hack journalists, activists, and politicians.
Once installed on a mobile phone, Pegasus can access a user's messages and data, or even activate the device remotely.
The Associated Press has reported that Krzysztof Brejza, a Polish senator from the main opposition Civic Platform (PO), was hacked using Pegasus in 2019.
Ahead of Poland's parliamentary elections, damaging messages from his phone were broadcast by state television in an apparent smear campaign.
Citizen Lab -- a Canadian-based cybersecurity monitoring lab -- has confirmed that the spyware was used against three people in Poland, including Brejza.
Amnesty International has also stated that the PO senator's phone was hacked multiple times in 2019.
Brejza has said that the incident allowed the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party to secure a narrow victory in the election.
But Kaczynski has dismissed the allegations and says the opposition "lost because they lost".
"There is nothing here, no fact, except the hysteria of the opposition," he told the weekly Sieci.
"No Pegasus, no service, no secretly
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