Spyware maker sentenced to prison in Greece for wiretapping politicians and journalists
Source: TechCrunch
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Greek Court Sentences Intellexa Founder
A Greek court on Thursday sentenced the founder of Intellexa, a collective of spyware makers, to eight years in prison for illegal wiretapping and privacy violations, according to reports from Balkan Insight, Ekathimerini, Reuters, and The Times of Israel.
Other Executives Sentenced
The other people sentenced include:
- Dilian’s business partner Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou
- His former deputy administrator and shareholder of Intellexa Felix Bitzios
- Yiannis Lavranos, who owned a company linked to Intellexa
Dilian did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
This is the first known time a spyware maker has been sentenced to jail following the misuse of their technology.
Background: “Greek Watergate”
Tal Dilian and three other Intellexa executives were tried for their role in a scandal dubbed “Greek Watergate,” which dates back to 2022. The Greek government was accused of wiretapping the phones of politicians, journalists, businesspeople, and military officials with spyware developed by Intellexa.
U.S. Sanctions (2024)
In 2024, the U.S. government sanctioned Intellexa and several of its linked companies, as well as Dilian and Hamou, for their role in developing the spyware known as Predator, which was used to target Americans, including government officials and journalists.
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Appeal Status
The court ordered authorities to further investigate and stayed the sentence pending appeal.