Wiretapping: Lawsuit by 8 Predator victims – Seeking total compensation of €7.6 million

The first lawsuit over telephone interceptions through the Predator spyware was filed before the Athens Multi-Member Court of First Instance. Through this action, the plaintiffs are seeking full civil compensation for the moral harm suffered by eight victims due to the unlawful violation of their private lives, the confidentiality of their communications and their personal data, with their main demand being the payment of total compensation amounting to €7.6 million.

The plaintiffs are victims of the surveillance operation, whose personal conversations and data were intercepted through the illegal spyware, causing them moral harm. Among them are journalist Thanasis Koukakis; Artemis Sifonios, who since 2020 has worked in the field of cybersecurity and protecting social media users from threats; Greek Police officer Pinelopi Miniati; Antonia Priba, an associate of Member of the European Parliament Stelios Kympouropoulos; EYP employees Angeliki Roussou and Zoe Maria Sakkali; lawyer Ioannis Fytillis; and journalist Spyros Sideris, who had not been involved in the criminal proceedings.

Seven victims are seeking compensation of €1 million each, while one plaintiff has limited the amount claimed to €600,000.

The lawsuits, which have been scheduled for 7 April 2027, are directed against the company Intellexa and 13 individuals linked to it, including the company’s four executives who were convicted at first instance. Among the defendants are also the butcher who appeared as a witness in the criminal proceedings and from whose prepaid card the “infected” messages were sent to PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, as well as an employee of a mobile phone store who is alleged to have had ties with the National Intelligence Service (EYP).

The lawsuit

According to information, the lawsuit provides an extensive analysis of all the evidence contained in the criminal case file concerning the way the surveillance operations were carried out, mapping the companies and individuals involved. It also makes specific reference to the operation of Predator in Greece, as well as the way in which each victim was exposed to the illegal spyware and the harm each of them suffered as a result of its use.

Regarding Pinelopi Miniati in particular, who had testified as a witness before the Athens Single-Member Court of First Instance and had not appeared as a supporting party to the prosecution, the lawsuit makes explicit reference to the messages she received, stressing that:

“the defendants gained access also to everything that took place during my meetings or conversations that I held, due to my position, with prominent individuals (Prosecutorial Authorities, the leadership of the Greek Police, representatives of embassies and International Organisations, senior officers – Director of Security, Director of the Counter-Terrorism Service, etc. – heads of Independent Authorities, etc.)”

She points out that the defendants “not only unlawfully accessed my personal data but also information from discussions with people with whom I came into contact either at a professional or personal level. It should be noted that, within the framework of my official duties, I handled cases relating to a broad spectrum of criminal activity (homicides, crimes against property, etc.) as well as matters concerning national security issues.”

Seeking to demonstrate the illegal acts committed against her and the personal harm they caused, she states that:

“Only during the year 2021, as Director of the Criminal Investigations Division, I handled both investigations into espionage offences in Rhodes and Samos, which were carried out, among other methods, through the use of drones, as well as cases involving domestic and international terrorist organisations, such as the Islamic terrorist organisation ISIS. Furthermore, most cases involved, among other things, the direct examination of digital devices, verification of the authenticity of documents (travel documents, etc.), and the identification of individuals through the use of biometric data, for the overall immediate investigation of espionage offences and acts that undermine national security.”

She concludes:

“It must be emphasised that the unlawful acts of the defendants severely violated my personal, family and professional life in a manner that created and continues to create particular anxiety and anger. Furthermore, it is important but also extremely aggravating for the case that, to this day, the extent and scope of the extracted data remains unknown, and above all the identities of the individuals who possess this information.”

“Wiretapping is an institutional wound”

“The case of the surveillance through the Predator spyware cannot be buried, no matter how hard some may try. The mere fact that, for four years now, it continues to remain in the public spotlight as an institutional wound reflects the scale of the scandal and the inadequate investigation of the case,” said lawyer Zacharias Kesses, the authorised legal representative, in a statement, adding:

“The lawsuits are based, among other things, on the facts established by the recent criminal conviction, as well as extensive evidentiary material from Greek and international investigations. During the trial, new evidence will be presented which is very likely to force the civil court to forward the material to the criminal justice authorities for investigation of felony-level offences. This also includes part of the evidence that the Prosecutors of the Supreme Court, Mr Bakelas and Mr Tzavelas, refused to receive on 24 April 2026.”