BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say they're investigating allegations that a company in Bavaria supplied Turkey with software that could be used to spy on Turkish dissidents.

Munich prosecutors said Thursday that they had opened the investigation into FinFisher after receiving complaints from a group of NGOs, including Reporters Without Borders Germany and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

The NGOs allege the Munich-based company violated export laws by supplying the software to Turkey without permission from the German government, and that its product, FinSpy, was used in 2017 to target anti-government protesters by providing access to data on their phones.

Prosecutors are obliged to open an investigation when allegations of a crime are leveled.

FinFisher did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.