ATHENS: A landmark trial concerning the illegal wiretapping of politicians and journalists using Predator spy software commenced in Greece on Wednesday.
The Athens Criminal Court will hear the case against four individuals accused of violating telephone communication secrecy laws.
Two Israeli and two Greek defendants could receive maximum prison sentences of five years if found guilty.
This trial was initially scheduled for March but experienced a six-month postponement before beginning.
Three of the accused are former executives from the Greek company Intellexa, which marketed the controversial Predator spyware.
Predator spyware enables hackers to extract messages and photos while remotely activating a device’s microphone or camera.
The United States banned Intellexa in 2023, labelling it a national security threat alongside Cytrox, the North Macedonian developer of Predator.
Greek financial journalist Thanassis Koukakis described the scandal as a true violation of the rule of law.
Koukakis first uncovered the case in early 2022, causing significant turmoil for the conservative government led by Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The scandal prompted the resignations of the head of Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) and the prime minister’s top aide, who was also his nephew.
Koukakis has filed a civil lawsuit after discovering he was placed under surveillance by EYP before his phone was infected with Predator in 2021.
The journalist stated that the government initially attempted to downplay the case despite media revelations to protect political culprits.
Public attention intensified in July 2022 when opposition leader Nikos Androulakis revealed an infection attempt on his phone.
Koukakis noted that this revelation exposed a significant surveillance network and accelerated the judicial investigation.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis faced a parliamentary no-confidence motion but maintained that the surveillance activities were legal.
Greece’s parliament has since enacted a ban on the use of spyware following the scandal.
Subsequent media reports published lists of surveillance targets, including ministers, military officials, journalists, and business executives.
Koukakis, who was investigating Greek corruption during his surveillance, blames the government for what he calls a political scandal.
Reporters Without Borders declared the case a new blow to media freedom within the country.
Dozens of Predator targets and the Authority for the Protection of Communications Secrecy brought the matter before the European Parliament in 2023.
They denounced investigative delays and alleged government interference with the independent authority.
Koukakis emphasised that the scandal represents an institutional violation due to executive interference in independent authorities and the judiciary.
The European Parliament last year called for strict rules against spyware, citing suspicions against Hungary, Poland, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus.
Koukakis’s lawyer Zacharias Kesses condemned the alleged involvement of EYP and the government, noting no politicians have been prosecuted.
Greece’s top prosecutor stated there was no evidence of national intelligence service involvement in the case.
The legal case has been narrowed to a single offence despite lawyer Kesses asserting evidence proves at least two serious crimes.
Kesses explained the crimes involve violation of personal data and state secrets from wiretapping armed forces leadership and cabinet ministers.
Approximately ten people, including Androulakis, have joined the trial as civil claimants.
The lawyer anticipates proceedings lasting several months due to the case file containing thousands of document pages. – AFP
