Barbouze methods. Journalists, lawyers, politicians, particularly French, or even former European football boss Michel Platini have been the target of hackers hired to protect Qatar’s reputation as part of the World Cup organization. 2022, revealed a poll released on Sunday, November 6 in Sunday times. To understand what happened, Marianne questioned centrist Senator Nathalie Goulet, herself targeted by these hacks. She believes she was targeted because of her work on terrorist financing, the subject of a recently signed book, The Primer of Terrorist Financing published by Cherche-Midi.
Marianne: You were aware of being spied upon prior to the investigation Sunday times ?
Nathalie Goulet: No, I was not aware of it. It was in this investigation that I learned that they had hacked my inbox, and I immediately related it to a suspicious phone call I received a few months ago. Someone introduced himself as an investigator, without giving me his name, told me that I had been “hacked” and asked me to confirm my password. I immediately changed my access codes, I also called the company that takes care of the maintenance of my devices and from that date my messages are encrypted. But I got it like a punch in the stomach when I learned all of this.
“These attacks come from somewhere: from radical Islam, from the Muslim Brotherhood, from Qatar. ”
Do you know exactly what the hackers got access to?
I have no idea. They had access to at least my Gmail inbox, so that’s all that private life can generate in terms of exchanges: family photos, conversations with my family members, private and outspoken secrets about my life. days. Today and from what I know, this hack is limited to my inbox.
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Why do you think Qatar is watching you?
I don’t think it’s my status as an Orne senator that interests Qatar so much. I think it’s more my work on radical Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood in particular. I was very explicit about the fact that I was fighting them, about the checks I could carry out through my status as a senator and about my general opposition to the spread of political Islam: if it is the EU that finances the campaigns related to the wearing of the veil, or those strategies that push girls to wear abayas in French schools. Each time, it is an attack on republican principles. These attacks come from somewhere: from radical Islam, from the Muslim Brotherhood, from Qatar.
“I have not had, for the moment, any contact with the government or with the police services. ”
You have also published a book on this topic, The Primer of Terrorist Financing.
It is true that in this work I scratched Qatar. I’m obviously not the only one. I have indicated the Qatari financing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, such as the “eurofatwa” application, which is part of the type of action of the Muslim Brotherhood. My book gives several examples.
Could this spying have something to do with your ties to Saudi Arabia?
I have no particular ties to Saudi Arabia. In 2014, 2015 and 2016 I was president of the regional friendship group with Saudi Arabia. Then I no longer tried to be, precisely because I was working in Qatar and did not want to be accused of conflicts of interest. I’ve always been transparent about this. I have already been able to take particular interest in the issue of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia. I am a free woman.
Did public authorities contact you after this hack?
I have the support of some of my colleagues, the president of my group in the Senate, my Communist colleague Pierre Ouzoulias, Commissioner Vincent Capo-Canellas and a few others. It touches me deeply. But for the moment I have had no contact with the government or the police services. I must say that I did not ask for anything.
“I have to say it’s really distressing, not to mention scary, to be the target of this type of attack. ”
Do you think the senators are well protected against this type of attack?
With this type of hacker, are we ever really safe? Especially since there is a great disproportion between the means of France and those of Qatar; how do you want to fight against such important financial means? It is sad to say, but it is very difficult.
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Are you going to file a complaint?
Of course I have sent the file to my French lawyers and a complaint will be filed. My London lawyer was also hacked. I have to say that he is really distressing, not to mention scary, to be the target of this type of attack.
