Israeli spyware maker to appeal conviction in Greece’s Predator case
Intellexa founder Tal Dilian says he won’t be a scapegoat in scandal, in which he was handed an eight-year prison sentence for surveillance of politicians and journalists
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WASHINGTON/ATHENS — The founder of surveillance firm Intellexa plans to appeal against his conviction by a Greek court on charges of breaching personal data during a wiretapping scandal that rocked Greece in 2022, he told Reuters on Tuesday.
On February 26, a Greek court concluded that Intellexa’s Tal Dilian, a former Israeli soldier and founder of Intellexa, and three other people were guilty of the misdemeanor charges and sentenced them to eight years in prison, suspended until an appeal.
“I remained silent during the trial, but I will not be a scapegoat,” Dilian said in a statement sent to Reuters.
“I believe a conviction without evidence is not justice, it could be part of a cover-up and even a crime. I will present my case before national, regional and international institutions, including requesting the intervention of the UN Special Rapporteur on judicial independence.”
The affair, dubbed “Predatorgate” in Greece, emerged in early 2022 when a Greek investigative journalist, Thanassis Koukakis, discovered he had been wiretapped by the intelligence services (EYP) and that his phone had also been infected with the Predator spyware.
According to the Greek Authority for Communication Security and Privacy watchdog (ADAE), the spyware was used against more than 90 people.
The case led to the firing of the head of the state intelligence service, EYP, and the prime minister’s chief of staff.
The government, which has denied any wrongdoing, survived a 2023 vote of no confidence over the issue.
In 2024, Greece’s Supreme Court prosecutor shelved the case against EYP but referred four defendants, including Dilian, to trial on misdemeanor charges.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said earlier this month that the judicial authorities were dealing with the matter, and he reiterated that the top court had set aside the case over the state’s involvement in the affair.
Dilian said in his statement that the evidence presented during the trial contradicted the Supreme Court prosecutor’s analysis, while there was no evidence that linked the defendants with EYP’s reported “interferences.”
He has said in the past that surveillance technology has only been sold to governments, and that they bear responsibility for using the technology legally.
Predator is sophisticated software that makes it possible to infiltrate mobile phones, access messages and photos, and even remotely activate the microphone and camera. The spyware, which has been used in dozens of countries, has enabled unauthorized data extraction, geolocation tracking, and access to personal information on compromised devices.
Intellexa was sanctioned by the US in 2024 under then-president Joe Biden, marking the first time that the Treasury Department sanctioned people or entities for the misuse of spyware. His successor, Donald Trump, dropped the sanctions the following year.
AFP and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.