Legal reforms in wake of spying allegations vow Spain

Madrid, May 26, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has said the Spanish government will tighten judicial control over the country’s National Intelligence Centre

According to ABC News, this come just weeks after the National Intelligence Centre admitted that it had spied on several pro-independence supporters in the region of Catalonia with judicial authorisation.

Since April, the National Intelligence Centre has been under fire after Canada-based digital rights group, Citizen Lab, alleged that the phones of more than 60 Catalan politicians, lawyers and activists had been hacked with controversial spyware.

The National Intelligence Centre later acknowledged that it had hacked into the mobile phones of “some” of these politicians in a closed-door meeting with Spanish lawmakers.

On Thursday May 26, Pedro Sanchez announced plans to overhaul the 2002 law that sets out judicial control of the Intelligence Agency. “It is aimed at strengthening the guarantees of this control, while also ensuring maximum respect for the individual and political rights of people,” he told parliament.

He confirmed that his government are also seeking to replace the current law on offical secrets. This law dates back to 1968 whilst Francisco Franco the Spanish general who led the Nationalist Forces was in charge.

Pedro Sanchez also stated that he will protect citizens in this way, with the reinforcement of control and security guarantees with the utmost respect for the individual and social rights of people. “We are going to continue working to redouble security and shield it as much as possible in the future,” he said.

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