Thai Court Dismisses Spyware Lawsuit in Pro-democracy Fight

A Thai court dismissed Jatupat Boonpattararaksa's lawsuit alleging that Pegasus spyware was used to hack his phone. The court ruled insufficient proof of infection, causing disappointment among activists. Investigations revealed government surveillance targeting activists, raising concerns over rights and state security.

On Thursday, a Thai court dismissed a lawsuit filed by pro-democracy activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, who alleged that Israeli Pegasus spyware had been used to hack his phone. The Civil Court in Bangkok concluded there wasn't enough evidence to demonstrate an infection by the Pegasus software from the NSO Group.

Jatupat, also known as Pai Dao Din, claimed that during major anti-government protests in 2021, Pegasus had violated his and other activists' constitutional rights. Despite claims of his phone being infected thrice, the court ruled against his case, disappointing activists.

Investigations by organizations including Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab revealed that 35 Thai individuals, mostly activists, were targeted by Pegasus in 2020 and 2021. Thai officials have yet to directly address the allegations, although they admitted using the spyware for security purposes in Parliament last year.

(With inputs from agencies.)