The prosecutor’s recommendation in Greece’s high-profile wiretapping trial triggered strong political reactions on Friday, reigniting debate over a surveillance scandal that has shaken the country’s political system and drawn international scrutiny. The case concerns the use of the Predator spyware between 2020 and 2022 against politicians, journalists, and public figures, and has become one of the most serious institutional controversies in recent Greek history.
The trial is being heard at the Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Athens and focuses on an illegal surveillance network linked to Predator, a powerful commercial spyware capable of covertly accessing mobile phones. The defendants include Greek nationals Giannis Lavranos and Felix Bitzios, as well as Intellexa executives Tal Dillian and Sara Hamou. The prosecutor argues that the network operated in parallel with lawful state surveillance, raising questions about the boundaries between private spyware firms and state authorities, including Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP).
In the recommendation, the prosecutor called for the conviction of all four defendants on all charges brought against them. The prosecutor also proposed a reclassification of certain offenses in a way that could result in more severe penalties. Emphasizing the institutional gravity of the case, the prosecutor stated that the use of Predator is illegal under Greek law, violates the confidentiality of communications, and poses a direct threat to democratic governance by concentrating extensive surveillance powers outside any framework of democratic or judicial oversight.
Opposition parties responded by framing the recommendation as confirmation of long-standing concerns about the rule of law in Greece. PASOK–Movement for Change said the prosecutor’s assessment vindicates the efforts of its leader, Nikos Androulakis - himself a target of surveillance - to expose the full scope of the scandal. The party stressed that, regardless of the court’s final verdict, the acknowledgment by a judicial authority that Predator was used against political figures and public officials represents a critical finding. PASOK also highlighted the prosecutor’s observation of overlaps between individuals targeted by Predator and those placed under surveillance by the EYP, a link that, it argued, could acquire renewed significance in the context of ongoing scrutiny by European institutions.
Further criticism came from Alexis Haritsis, leader of the left-wing New Left party, who described the affair as a “scandal of democracy.” He said the prosecutor’s recommendation underscores both the connection between the Predator spyware company and the state and the institutional seriousness of the case, arguing that it should not be adjudicated by a single-member court. Addressing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Haritsis questioned whether the government should acknowledge responsibility for constitutional violations rather than focusing on proposals for constitutional reform, insisting that political accountability for the surveillance scandal remains unresolved.
The wiretapping case has attracted international attention amid broader European concerns over the misuse of commercial spyware and its impact on democratic freedoms. As the trial continues, the prosecutor’s recommendation has reinforced claims that the affair goes beyond individual criminal liability and touches on fundamental questions about state power, transparency, and the protection of civil liberties in an EU member state.
