An Athens court has delivered a landmark ruling in the long-running ‘Predatorgate’ scandal, convicting four individuals linked to spyware maker Intellexa for unlawful access to private communications and violations of privacy and data protection laws. The convicted include Tal Dilian, former Israeli intelligence officer and Intellexa founder, his business partner Sara Hamou, former deputy administrator and shareholder Felix Bitzios, and Yiannis Lavranos, owner of Kriel, the company allegedly used to procure Predator spyware. Each was sentenced to 126 years and eight months in prison, though the sentences are suspended pending appeal, while a prosecutor has requested further investigations into espionage and possible collaboration with foreign state actors.
Rebecca White, Amnesty International’s Security Lab Researcher, welcomed the ruling as a rare case of accountability for abuses in the surveillance industry. She highlighted that Intellexa’s products have been used in repeated attacks on journalists, activists, academics, and politicians worldwide. White emphasized the importance of transparency by the Greek government and the need for remedies for victims affected by the unlawful use of Predator spyware.
The scandal emerged in March 2022 when journalist Thanasis Koukakis discovered his phone had been infected with Predator spyware, allegedly deployed by the Greek National Intelligence Service. Four months later, Nikos Androulakis, then a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the opposition party PASOK-KINAL, found his phone similarly targeted. The revelations sparked public outrage, parliamentary inquiries, and criminal investigations. In July 2024, the Supreme Court cleared Greek intelligence services and political officials of wrongdoing, leaving the private actors at the center of the controversy.
The Athens court’s 2026 ruling is widely seen as a significant step toward ending impunity for the misuse of surveillance technology, signaling potential accountability in a sector often criticized for operating without oversight. It also raises ongoing questions about the Greek government’s role and the broader need for transparency, oversight, and justice for the victims affected by the invasive spyware operations.
