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Dutch MEP whacks Hacking Team over embargo-busting

We need to talk about Sudan and human rights ...

The Hacking Team fallout continues, with Dutch member of the European Parliament Marietje Schaake asking for a European Commission (EC) investigation into the outfit.

Schaake wants the EC to decide whether Hacking Team broke various embargo rules by selling products to repressive regimes (she name-checks Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Uzbekistan in this blog post).

She singles out a sale to Sudan as a possible violation of “UN Security Council Resolutions 1556, 1591, 1945, 2091 and 2138”, and that the sale “would also violate Council Decision 2014/450/CFSP of 10 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Sudan”.

Her questions for the European Commission, posted here, are:

  • 1) Does the Commission believe Hacking Team has violated EU sanctions regimes?
  • 2) Has the Commission been informed of any prior authorisation given by the Italian authorities that would allow Hacking Team to export its products to Sudan or Russia, and is the Commission aware of a ‘global authorization’ that was given by the Italian authorities to Hacking Team that authorised the company to export its products freely in all countries of the Wassenaar agreement?
  • 3) Has Hacking Team ever asked DG FPI any question regarding its interpretation of the EU sanctions regime against Sudan or Russia?

An unfavourable finding would open up a new world of pain for the Italian surveillanceware outfit. ®

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