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Greek Court Sentences Four, Including Two Israelis, in Predator Spyware Case
A Greek court has sentenced four individuals, including two Israeli nationals, to eight years in prison for their involvement in the political scandal surrounding the Predator spyware, which came to light in 2022. This case pertains to the illegal use of sophisticated malware to spy on the mobile phones of over 90 political figures, journalists, businessmen, and senior military officials in Greece.
Among those convicted is Tal Dilian, a former Israeli military officer and founder of Intellexa, a company known for producing spyware. Intellexa was responsible for the marketing and sale of the Predator malware in Greece. Alongside Dilian, his associate and two former executives of the company in Greece were also sentenced.
According to the judge's ruling, the defendants, who were absent from the court session, were found guilty of several offenses, including violating the confidentiality of telephone communications, repeatedly manipulating personal data storage systems, and illegally accessing information systems or data.
Despite the convictions, the court ruled that the four individuals would remain free pending the outcome of an appeal filed by their attorneys.Predator is an advanced spyware that allows intruders to access messages and images and remotely activate the microphones and cameras of smartphones. The crisis began in early 2022 when investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis revealed that the Greek National Intelligence Service had spied on him and installed the Predator malware on his phone. Shortly thereafter Nikos Androulakis the current leader of the Socialist Party and a former Member of the European Parliament also disclosed attempts to hack his phone.
This scandal led to the resignation of high-ranking officials including Grigoris Dimitriadis a close aide to the Prime Minister and the head of Greece's intelligence agency. Although Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis survived a parliamentary vote of no confidence the case significantly damaged his government's credibility.
In July 2024 Greece's Supreme Court acquitted intelligence agencies and political officials of any wrongdoing a decision that sparked outrage among victims and human rights organizations. Critics argue that the judicial process was flawed as the court only interrogated two victims and the prosecution never sought to investigate the bank accounts of the marketing company behind the spyware.
February 26, 2026
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