EU Lawmaker Investigating Spyware Abuses Hacked with Pegasus
Citizen Lab uncovers hacking of Stelios Kouloglou’s phone
July 3, 2026 – 8:41 am
Stelios Kouloglou, a former Greek MEP and member of the left-wing SYRIZA party, spent two years on the European Parliament committee investigating government use of commercial hacking tools for spying on citizens. According to a report by Citizen Lab, his iPhone was hacked three times with Pegasus spyware while the inquiry was ongoing.
Kouloglou served as a substitute member of the PEGA (Parliamentary Inquiry into Government Surveillance) committee, established in 2022 to examine the use of Pegasus and similar spyware across EU countries. Citizen Lab discovered forensic evidence of three separate infections on his iPhone: one in October 2022 while he was in hospital, and two more in March 2023 as he traveled between Athens and Brussels.
The spyware was identified as Pegasus, developed by Israel’s NSO Group. While Citizen Lab did not name the hacker, they linked the infrastructure to a known campaign targeting journalists across Europe, suggesting an NSO government client but not the company itself. Kouloglou called the hack "reckless" and plans to sue NSO Group.
Response from Relevant Parties
- NSO Group: Did not respond to requests for comment.
- European Parliament: Stated that its IT security team "constantly monitors cybersecurity threats" and that spyware screening tools have been available since 2022, the committee’s formation year. They also supported calls for implementing the PEGA committee’s original recommendations regarding device screening.
- Other PEGA committee members quickly expressed support for these recommendations, with German MEP Hannah Neumann emphasizing the need to finally implement them.
Citizen Lab‘s director described the case as ironic given Kouloglou’s role investigating Pegasus and warned that an unregulated spyware industry undermines trust in democratic institutions.