Earlier in the day, Polish news outlet Onet reported that Tusk’s daughter, Katarzyna Tusk-Cudna, had been granted legal victim status in an ongoing investigation into the use of Pegasus under the former PiS administration.
Investigators are also expected to question the prime minister’s wife, Małgorzata Tusk, in the coming days.
Polish prime minister’s daughter granted victim status in Pegasus investigation
In a social media post, Tusk wrote that “PiS used Pegasus to spy on my wife and daughter,” adding a pointed remark aimed at PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, who has faced criticism for divisive language.
Tusk’s comments came days after a Molotov cocktail was thrown outside the headquarters of his Civic Platform party near Poland’s parliament in Warsaw.
Poland’s use of Pegasus spyware has been under investigation since 2022, following reports that the PiS government used it to monitor opposition politicians, lawyers, and journalists.
Pegasus is an Israeli-made surveillance tool purchased during the PiS administration.
Political reactions: ‘An absolute scandal’
National Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak confirmed that Katarzyna Tusk-Cudna had been questioned as a witness in the ongoing investigation into Pegasus use. However, he denied that the software had been directly used against the prime minister’s daughter.
Tomasz Siemoniak, a minister and coordinator of Poland’s security services, called the alleged surveillance “an absolute scandal,” saying it was irrelevant under what pretext such monitoring took place.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said that reports of surveillance targeting the prime minister’s family “destroy PiS’s narrative that Pegasus was used only to fight criminals.” He added that the revelations show the system was used “as a tool of political control against the opposition, without any restraint.”
PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński has denied the allegations, while other party figures have dismissed the claims as “fake.”
Former CBA deputy charged in Pegasus spyware probe
On 22 October, prosecutors charged former deputy head of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) Daniel K. with abuse of power over the use of Pegasus spyware.
A special investigative team has been set up to examine the alleged illegal use of the software against opposition figures and members of the media during the PiS government.
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Source: Radio Poland/Onet/IAR