It has become known as Greece's Watergate: spyware software and Greek intelligence targeted the mobile phones of government ministers, senior military officers, judges, and journalists.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called it a scandal, but no government officials have been charged in court and critics accuse the government of trying to cover up the truth.
Instead, a low-ranking judge will on Wednesday hear the case against two Israelis and two Greeks, allegedly involved with marketing spy software known as Predator.
In the summer of 2022, the current head of socialist party Pasok, Nikos Androulakis - then an MEP - was informed by the EU Parliament's IT experts that he had received a malicious text message from an unknown sender, containing spy software.
This Predator spyware, marketed by the Athens-based Israeli company Intellexa, can access a device's messages, camera, and microphone – effectively turning a person's phone against them.
Things escalated after Androulakis discovered that he had been tracked for national security reasons by Greece's National Intelligence Service (EYP).
Just a month after taking office in the summer of 2019, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed EYP directly under his supervision. His conservative government found itself at the heart of the crisis, leading to resignations within the intelligence agency.
Predator had been used to surveil at least 87 individuals, among whom served ministers and senior military officers were included. Despite criticism that common targets by EYP and Predator indicate a coordinated strategy, the government remained adamant that the overlap was coincidental.
A new law passed in 2022 has since legalized the use of surveillance software by state security under strict conditions. This has raised concerns about government oversight and public accountability.
Critics of the government express frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the surveillance activities against ministers and members of the military. Furthermore, a report by the Greek Supreme Court suggested that while there was no established link to government officials, the unresolved questions remain troubling.
The four individuals on trial face misdemeanor charges related to the marketing of Predator. However, the broader implications of the spyware scandal reveal significant institutional failures and ongoing conflicts surrounding privacy rights in Greece.
The scandal has garnered international attention, prompting calls for investigations and criticism of the Greek government's transparency and willingness to address the truth.
