The Greek government has pushed back strongly against new claims by surveillance software entrepreneur Tal Dilian, as the long-running Predator spyware scandal returns to the center of political debate following recent court developments in Athens.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis responded directly to Dilian’s latest public intervention, stressing that the Intellexa founder has already been convicted at first instance and is now a defendant in an appeal trial. Marinakis said Dilian’s claims — including his assertion that Intellexa sells its surveillance software only to governments and law enforcement agencies — should be judged in court rather than in the political arena or the media.
Marinakis accused opposition parties of adopting the claims of a defendant and attempting to turn the political debate into what he described as “an endless courtroom,” insisting that legal matters must be resolved by the justice system alone. He said Greek courts, including at senior judicial level, had already concluded that no state official bore responsibility in the case and that the individuals prosecuted were private actors who had now been convicted at first instance.
The government spokesperson was also asked about references in the court ruling to possible espionage and calls for further investigation. He acknowledged that any investigation at that level is by definition serious, but emphasized that the case relates to events that took place four years ago. He said the government had already recognized failures in the legal framework at the time and had since introduced stricter surveillance legislation, which he said had been acknowledged by the European Commission in its rule-of-law reports.
Marinakis warned against framing the spyware case as a broader national security failure, arguing that Greece is now more secure and institutionally stronger. He also accused the opposition of repeatedly focusing on judicial cases — including the wiretapping scandal and other high-profile incidents — in order to dominate political debate rather than engage in policy and economic arguments.
The government’s response reflects its consistent position since the Predator scandal first emerged: that illegal surveillance activities were carried out by private individuals rather than state services. However, Dilian’s repeated claim that Intellexa sells its software only to state authorities continues to fuel political controversy, keeping the case at the center of Greece’s political and institutional tensions as legal proceedings continue.
