Reverend Mattia Ferrari, chaplain of the Mediterranean humanitarian organization Mediterranea Saving Humans, has reportedly been subjected to sophisticated cyber surveillance over the past year.

This revelation emerged from findings by Canadian researchers at CitizenLab, who have been investigating cyber intrusions following reports that a group of around 90 activists and journalists were being monitored using Graphite, a military-grade spyware developed by the Israeli firm Paragon.

Notably, the Italian government has suspended its contract with Paragon amidst these developments.

Ferrari expressed his distress over the situation, sharing that while immediate evidence of spyware installation on his device is not confirmed, signs of a preliminary cyber attack have been detected.

The timeline of the attack aligns with an incident on February 8, 2024, which also targeted Luca Casarini, the founder of Mediterranea.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, alerted Ferrari to the sophisticated attack allegedly supported by unidentified government entities.

John Scott Railton, a senior researcher at CitizenLab, indicated that being notified of such an attack often implies the individual was selected for monitoring due to advanced targeting methods.

The mechanism known as scraping, which extracts publicly available information, may not be illegal, but significant breaches involving hacking and privacy violations indicate a higher level of espionage targeting not just individuals but entire networks.

Railton underscored the possibility that contacts within Ferrari's network might also be at risk.

Concerns have been raised within Mediterranea regarding the potential targeting of additional individuals beyond those currently known, with specific scrutiny on the organization's founders and their close associates, who frequently interact with victims of violence and torture in Libya and Tunisia.

Investigations by judicial authorities in Naples and Palermo are ongoing, as part of a joint inquiry into the surveillance allegations.

Luca Casarini was interviewed for over two hours as part of the inquiry, with further questioning of other Mediterranea members anticipated.

The Italian government's stance on the surveillance issue remains ambiguous, despite partial admissions made by the leadership of Italy's intelligence services, AISI and AISE.

Criticism from opposition parties has mounted, urging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to clarify the government's position and responsibilities regarding these breaches of privacy.

Matteo Renzi, leader of Italia Viva, criticized the government's inaction in protecting a prominent priest while accommodating individuals involved in human trafficking.

He expressed concerns about the broader implications for ordinary citizens and the necessity of accountability from governmental authorities.

The ongoing revelations have prompted calls for transparency from various political figures.

Ilenia Malavasi, a member of Parliament, emphasized the need to investigate the extent of the surveillance and the technologies used while questioning the government's silence and inconsistencies regarding the matter.

Elly Schlein, the Secretary of the Democratic Party, highlighted the urgent need for the government to clarify the situation, arguing it undermines the pillar of the rule of law.

Green Party leader Angelo Bonelli echoed demands for the identification of those responsible for the surveillance, as implications grow over the government's response to these serious allegations.