Report: Russian Authorities Hacked Political Prisoner’s iPhone Using Israeli Tech

A new investigation says Russian authorities broke into the phone of Andrey Pivovarov, a well-known political prisoner and former head of the human rights group Open Russia, using technology from Israel’s Cellebrite. The breach reportedly happened months after Cellebrite said it had ended contracts with Russia.

Citizen Lab, a research unit at the University of Toronto, said its forensic investigation found a high degree of confidence that Cellebrite tools were used. That conclusion was backed, investigators said, by a document prepared by Russian authorities and handed to Pivovarov during his criminal prosecution.

Pivovarov was arrested in May 2021. According to the report, while he was in prison Russian authorities accessed his personal phone and extracted private information, including details about his life, messages and calls, photos, documents, contacts and other material. The information taken from the device was then used to prepare a criminal indictment against him.

The report raises questions about whether Russia is still using Israeli software to hack the phones of regime opponents in Moscow, despite the end of formal ties with Cellebrite, and how effectively the company can prevent improper use of its technology. Pivovarov said they tried to find his messages with colleagues and other politicians, adding that the material could be used in criminal cases against them. “After my arrest, some of my colleagues left Russia immediately,” he said.