A former Moroccan intelligence officer reportedly offered Spanish authorities information about Morocco’s intelligence operations, Pegasus spyware and organised crime in exchange for protection from possible extradition. The approach, reported by Spanish media and attributed to judicial and other sources, appears not to have reached the judge handling Spain’s Pegasus investigation.
Mehdi Hijaouy was reportedly living in France in 2024 after leaving Morocco following a dispute involving former intelligence colleagues. He later moved to Spain, citing concerns about his safety and that of his family, before eventually leaving the country. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Reported offer to Spanish prosecutors
According to reporting by The Objective, Hijaouy contacted people associated with the legal efforts surrounding Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former military intelligence chief. Carvajal had sought to cooperate with Spanish authorities before he was extradited to the United States, where he faced narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking charges.
Hijaouy reportedly used a lawyer connected to those efforts to present his own offer. The information was sent to Spain’s public prosecutor’s office at the Audiencia Nacional through an intermediary, with documents cited by ABC indicating that an email was sent on 7 October 2024.
The former officer allegedly said he could provide information about the operation of Morocco’s intelligence services. The reported offer included claims concerning:
- the alleged use of Pegasus spyware against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez;
- terrorism-related matters; and
- organised crime.
The reports do not establish that the allegations were verified or that Spanish authorities accepted Hijaouy as a cooperating witness. They describe an approach for possible protection, not a confirmed intelligence-sharing arrangement.
Why the Pegasus investigation was relevant
The reported contact came while Spain’s courts were examining the alleged targeting of senior officials with Pegasus, highly sophisticated spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group. Pegasus has been at the centre of investigations in several countries after allegations that mobile phones belonging to politicians, officials, journalists and civil-society figures were compromised.
In Spain, the Audiencia Nacional was handling a related judicial investigation. The prosecutor’s office reportedly replied on 28 October 2024 that information concerning the existing Pegasus case would need to be sent to the investigating judge rather than dealt with separately by the prosecution service.
Judicial sources cited by ABC said the offer did not ultimately reach Judge José Luis Calama. On the information available in the reports, it is therefore unclear whether the court assessed the material, whether any intelligence was formally supplied, or whether the claims led to further investigative action.
Former officer reportedly left Spain
After the proposed cooperation did not progress, Hijaouy reportedly considered leaving Spain. The Objective said he explored possible destinations including Canada and Algeria.
He is reported to have departed Spain by ship and private aircraft before travelling onwards to Turkey. Reports say he later continued to another destination, but his current location has not been publicly established.
The circumstances highlight the legal and security complications that can arise when a foreign intelligence figure seeks protection in a European country while offering information about a third country’s security services. Any such arrangement would involve questions about extradition law, witness protection, intelligence handling and the independence of judicial proceedings.
What is known—and what remains unconfirmed
The account is based on reporting by Spanish publications and sources cited in those reports. Several important points remain unconfirmed publicly:
- whether Hijaouy possessed the information he claimed to hold;
- whether Spanish authorities conducted an assessment of his allegations;
- whether he was offered protection or legal assurances;
- whether Morocco issued a formal extradition request in this specific case; and
- whether the reported information changed the direction of the Pegasus proceedings.
These distinctions matter. An allegation made during an attempt to secure protection is not, by itself, evidence that the underlying claims are true. Nor does the reported contact demonstrate that any individual named in connection with the allegations committed wrongdoing.
Wider European significance
The case has wider European relevance because it combines extradition, intelligence cooperation, spyware allegations and the protection of people who say they face security risks abroad. Spain’s Audiencia Nacional has jurisdiction over serious matters with national and international dimensions, making its handling of sensitive information particularly significant.
It also reflects the continuing scrutiny of spyware allegations across Europe. Governments and courts have faced pressure to establish whether surveillance tools were used lawfully, who authorised their deployment and what safeguards protect public officials and private citizens.
For now, the reported approach remains an uncompleted offer rather than a confirmed cooperation agreement. The most important unresolved issue is whether Spanish judicial authorities ever received and examined the intelligence Hijaouy said he could provide.
Conclusion
The reported case centres on a former Moroccan intelligence officer who allegedly offered Spain information about intelligence operations, Pegasus spyware and organised crime in return for protection from possible extradition. Public reporting indicates that the proposal reached prosecutors but apparently did not reach the judge handling the Pegasus investigation. Unless official judicial or government records provide further clarification, the claims should remain treated as allegations rather than verified intelligence findings.
