An Athens court in a landmark ruling on February 26 delivered the first convictions in Greece’s “Predatorgate” scandal. The court found three executives of the Greek spyware company Intellexa, and another prominent businessman, all guilty of unlawfully accessing information systems, violating communications privacy, and interfering with personal data systems, using spyware.
The ruling is an important step toward surveillance accountability and the rule of law in Greece. Journalists revealed in 2022 that Greece’s intelligence service had targeted dozens of people—journalists, politicians, businessmen, and others—with Predator spyware, as well as via traditional wiretap.
The Athens misdemeanor court has found four people guilty: Tal Dilian, Sara Hamou, Felix Bitzios, and Giannis Lavranos. They were sentenced to 126 years each, capped, however, at 8 years because the charges were misdemeanors. The court suspended their sentences, pending appeal.
It was the first time a Greek court has held spyware company executives accountable for how their technology was used. This sends a powerful message about the need for due diligence by companies that develop and sell surveillance technology, and the legal consequences for facilitating human rights abuses.
In an important move, the court also referred the case file back to prosecutors to reopen the investigation at the felony level, including criminal responsibility for potential espionage.
Still, the victory is bittersweet: while the ruling addresses the people responsible for developing the tools used to carry out this illegal surveillance, the prosecution did not address the criminal responsibility of those who ordered it.
Supreme Court prosecutors in 2024 cleared government agencies and state officials of responsibility, despite documented evidence of their involvement, including findings from a European Parliament investigation.
Human Rights Watch research has documented the chilling effect of the surveillance scandal on media freedom and how the threat of surveillance created an environment of fear among journalists. Journalists who exposed the scandal have faced abusive lawsuits by the former official responsible for overseeing the intelligence service, intending to silence their reporting.
This ruling is an important moment of accountability against the executives of companies that develop and sell dangerous surveillance technology. Now the Greek judiciary needs to hold state officials accountable for ordering its use.
