Predator Spyware, Intellexa, and the Greek Surveillance Scandal Head Back to Court

12:01 23/4/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

The trial over the illegal use of Predator spyware in Greece, one of the country’s most significant surveillance scandals in recent history, is set to resume on April 23 at the Athens Single-Member Misdemeanor Court.

The case centers on the use of Predator, a military-grade spyware sold by the company Intellexa, to conduct unauthorized surveillance between 2020 and 2022. Among the defendants are Yiannis Lavranos, alleged

beneficiary of the defense contractor Krikel, and Intellexa executives Felix Bitzios, Tal Dilian, and Sara Hamou.

At the second hearing on April 10, defense lawyers for Dilian and Hamou challenged the legality of the prosecution on procedural grounds, arguing that their clients were never provided with translated copies of the indictment—an essential document outlining the charges and key evidence.

The original was served only in Greek, despite the defendants not understanding the language. Greek law, in accordance with European human rights standards, requires that non-Greek-speaking defendants receive translations of such documents in a timely manner.

Tal Dilian, the only defendant physically present in court, addressed the judges directly, declaring he would represent himself in English and questioning whether the court would continue to withhold translations. Although an interpreter has been appointed for the hearings, the court rejected the motion to annul the indictment, claiming the defendants had previously signed documents in Greek and did not formally declare language barriers during pretrial.

This failure to translate has already delayed proceedings and threatens to further stall the trial. Defense lawyers have since requested a postponement to allow translations of additional key documents, including the charges, complaints, and witness testimonies. The court has not yet ruled on the request, pushing substantive discussion of the Predator case further down the line.

Beyond procedural missteps, the case has exposed broader concerns about the Greek judiciary’s handling of politically sensitive matters. Notably, no officials from the Hellenic Data Protection Authority—responsible for the initial investigation into Predator—have been summoned to testify.

As legal delays mount and translation issues persist, concerns have been raised about the potential for the case to stall. However, under current legal timelines, the offenses in question are not at immediate risk of falling under the statute of limitations.

Despite procedural missteps, the case remains active, and the court has not signaled any intention to dismiss it. With public scrutiny intensifying and international interest growing, the likelihood of the Predator spyware scandal fading into judicial obscurity appears slim.

Instead, the trial continues to draw attention to the challenges facing Greece’s legal system in addressing a surveillance operation of this scale.

#ENGLISH_EDITION #GREECE #PREDATOR

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