Greek Court Sentences Four for Illegal Data Collection

A Greek judge has found four people, including the head of a spying company, guilty of stealing private information during 2020‑21. The decision follows a wave of accusations that politicians were secretly monitored by state tools, sparked in 2022. The Supreme Court earlier dropped a case against the national intelligence agency and handed the four individuals over to be tried for lesser offences. The court in Athens imposed a combined sentence of 126 years and eight months. Because the law limits how long someone can actually stay in prison, each defendant will serve a maximum of eight years. The ruling is still subject to appeal and the case has been sent back to prosecutors for a deeper look into possible espionage or other serious crimes.The defendants, who were linked to the surveillance firm Intellexa, did not plead guilty. They all denied the accusations and had lawyers present at the hearing. One of the victims, a journalist named Thanasis Koukakis, had his phone targeted by Predator spyware. That software was created by a company that is part of the same consortium as Intellexa. Predator traces were later discovered on many other phones, including those of lawmakers, ministers, intelligence workers and businessmen. The scandal shook the ruling centre‑right coalition, leading to the removal of the head of the intelligence service and the prime minister’s chief of staff. The government denied any intentional wrongdoing but survived a vote of no confidence in 2023. Several plaintiffs said they felt relieved by the verdict. A lawyer who represented five complainants noted that justice is now open to investigate further wrongdoing.