"Wiretapping scandal goes to court in Greece" 24 September 2025

Four people -- two Israelis and two Greeks -- are being tried at the Athens Criminal Court for the "violation of telephone communication secrecy" and face a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Their trial, initially scheduled for March, was postponed by six months. Wednesday's hearing was adjourned until October 22, a court official said. Three of the defendants are former executives of the Greek company Intellexa, which marketed the Predator spyware in Greece. Predator allows hackers to access messages, photos and even remotely activate the microphone or camera of the infected device...

...One of the main victims of the scandal, Greek financial journalist Thanassis Koukakis, told AFP it was "a true violation of the rule of law". The case, uncovered by Koukakis in early 2022, rattled the conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leading to resignations by the head of Greece's EYP National Intelligence Service as well as the prime minister's top aide and nephew. Koukakis has filed a civil lawsuit in the trial after being placed under surveillance by EYP with the spyware...

...Koukakis, who had been investigating corruption in Greece at the time of the wiretaps, blames the government for what he called a "political scandal". Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a press watchdog, said the case represented "a new blow to media freedom" in the country...

...Around 10 people, including Androulakis, have filed civil suits but Koukasis said "there are many more victims of Predator"...