The case, heard at the Athens Single-Member Court of First Instance, was halted when it emerged that two of the four appointed interpreters refused to undertake their roles, leaving the translation of essential legal materials incomplete.
The missing translations concern critical evidence and procedural documents, and the court was informed that completing the work would require more than 30 days. In accordance with Greek legal procedures, the judges were left with no choice but to announce an indefinite adjournment.
The case involves allegations of illegal surveillance using Predator spyware, and it has drawn international attention due to the involvement of foreign nationals and advanced surveillance technology. The accused include Israeli businessman Tal Dilian and his wife Sara Hamu, who are reportedly shareholders and managers of Intellexa, the company behind the Predator spyware. They stand accused of violating the confidentiality of communications, alongside Greek businessmen Felix Bitzios and Giannis Lavranos, who are linked to Intellexa and Krikel, another firm associated with the development and export of surveillance software.
The postponement is expected to push the trial back to September, at the earliest. By then, the necessary translations should be completed and proceedings will continue under a newly composed judicial panel. This adds yet another delay to a case that has already been widely criticized for its sluggish progress and procedural inconsistencies.
The latest setback has intensified accusations from defense lawyers and victims of the surveillance operation, who have claimed from the outset that the Greek judiciary mishandled the case. Specifically, they accuse the Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office of failing to instruct the trial court to provide timely English translations of the indictment and other key documents, even though two of the four defendants are foreign nationals. This failure is now seen as a major procedural lapse, one that has already caused a delay of at least six months in bringing the case to court.
