Hackers focused Qatar World Cup critics, UK investigation finds

Printed on: 07/11/2022 – 07:38

A database leaked to Britain’s Sunday Instances and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed the hacking of a dozen attorneys, journalists and public figures from 2019 “commissioned by a specific shopper”, the newspaper and the newspaper mentioned. workplace in an announcement.

“This investigation strongly signifies that this shopper is the host of (the) World Cup: Qatar,” he mentioned, prompting Qatari authorities to name the allegation “manifestly false and baseless”.

Amongst these focused was Michel Platini, the previous boss of European soccer.

Platini, who was hacked forward of talks with French police over World Cup corruption allegations, informed AFP he was “shocked and deeply shocked” by the report.

He mentioned he would discover all potential authorized avenues concerning what seemed to be a critical “breach” of his privateness.

London-based advisor Ghanem Nuseibeh, whose agency Cornerstone produced a report on World Cup-related corruption, was additionally focused, the Sunday Instances mentioned in its report based mostly on the joint investigation.

Others included Nathalie Goulet, a French senator and outspoken critic of Qatar for allegedly funding “Islamic terrorism” and Mark Somos, a German-based lawyer, who had filed a grievance in opposition to the Qatari royal household with the Human Rights Council. United Nations man.

Greater than 100 targets

The controversy comes two weeks earlier than the World Cup kicks off within the conservative Gulf state on November 20.

The newspaper alleged the hack was orchestrated by a 31-year-old accounting agency worker, who denies the allegations.

Based mostly in a suburb of the Indian tech metropolis of Gurugram, close to Delhi, his community of hackers allegedly tricked their targets into utilizing “phishing” strategies to achieve entry to their e-mail inboxes, typically additionally deploying malware. to take management of their cameras and microphones. .

Hacking assaults weren’t restricted to these within the Qatar World Cup, nevertheless.

In complete, greater than 100 victims had their non-public e-mail accounts focused by the gang “on behalf of investigators working for autocratic states, British attorneys and their rich purchasers”, in keeping with the report.

These included politicians coping with points regarding Russia, similar to the previous British finance minister, Philip Hammond.

He was focused throughout a interval when he was coping with the aftermath of the 2018 Novichok assault on former double agent Sergei Skripal which the UK blamed on Russia.

The Swiss president and his deputy had been additionally hacked days after the president met then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to debate Russian sanctions.

The gang additionally took management of computer systems belonging to Pakistani politicians and generals and had their conversations monitored, “apparently on the request of the Indian intelligence service”, the Sunday Instances added.

‘No proof’

A Qatari official dismissed the allegations, describing the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) report as “affected by inconsistencies and blatant lies that undermine the credibility of their group”.

“The report depends on a single supply who claims its final shopper was Qatar, though there is no such thing as a proof to show this,” the official informed AFP in an announcement.

“Many firms have additionally boasted of non-existent ties with Qatar in an try to spice up their profile forward of the World Cup.

“The TBIJ’s choice to launch the report with out a single credible piece of proof to hyperlink their allegations to Qatar raises critical issues about their motives, which seem like pushed by political causes fairly than public curiosity,” added the supervisor.

(AFP)