Greek Court Rejects Defense Challenge in Predator Spyware Trial

13:41 25/4/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

In Athens, the third hearing in Greece’s controversial Predator spyware trial was marked by another failed attempt by defense attorneys to annul the prosecution, a new court-ordered delay for document translations, and a surprising show of solidarity between defense lawyers representing different defendants.

Held on April 23 at the Single-Member Court of First Instance, the trial centers on four individuals accused of involvement in the deployment and operation of Predator, a powerful spyware allegedly used to target

politicians, journalists, and state officials. The defendants — Giannis Lavranos, Felix Bitzios, Tal Dillian, and Sara Hamou — are facing charges stemming from Greece’s far-reaching surveillance scandal, which has drawn widespread criticism from press freedom and civil liberties advocates across Europe.

At this latest hearing, lawyers for the defense again challenged the legitimacy of the criminal proceedings by objecting to the contents of the indictment summons, known in Greek as the “Klitiro Thespisma”. This legal document outlines the charges and key elements of the case. Defense attorneys argued that the summons lacked essential information — such as specific dates, times, and the content of spyware-infected messages — necessary for their clients to mount a proper defense. They claimed that without these details, the defendants were effectively left in the dark about the specific acts they are accused of committing.

The defense's position was articulated by several attorneys, including Giannis Kyriakidis for Bitzios, Andreas Mitsainas for Dillian, Dionysis Mataragas for Hamou, and Eleftheria Rizou for Lavranos. All argued that the omission of this information should nullify the indictment. They also pushed back against concerns over trial delays, asserting that any adjournment would not jeopardize the statute of limitations, which they said does not expire until 2026.

The court, however, rejected their motion, siding with the prosecution and civil plaintiffs, who argued that the indictment meets all requirements under Greek law. Prosecutors and lawyers representing surveillance victims, including opposition leader Nikos Androulakis and journalist Thanasis Koukakis, countered that the summons provides sufficient factual and legal basis to proceed, and that further details will emerge during the trial’s evidentiary phase.

In court, civil party lawyer Christos Kaklamanis emphasized that the accused clearly understand the charges against them, while Zacharias Kesses, representing multiple victims of the Predator surveillance, expressed frustration over the repeated procedural delays. “We cannot keep returning to the same point,” he said, urging the court to keep the proceedings moving forward.

Following the rejection of the motion to annul the indictment, the court agreed to a new adjournment — not to accommodate more objections, but to allow time for the official translation of key documents, including the indictment and evidence lists, into languages understood by all defendants. The translations are to be completed by May 15, with the next hearing scheduled for May 19.

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