Greek Court Sentences Executives in Spyware Scandal Involving Journalist Surveillance

A Greek court has delivered significant prison sentences to executives linked to the controversial Predator spyware affair, in which a foreign-based surveillance company’s software was used to target journalists and others, including Greek investigative reporter Thanasis Koukakis. The verdict, announced on 26 February 2026, follows a high-profile trial into one of the country’s largest unlawful surveillance scandals and marks a rare instance of legal accountability for the misuse of commercial spyware against press freedom.

The Athens Court of Appeals found four individuals guilty of criminal charges tied to the distribution and deployment of Predator spyware — a powerful hacking tool marketed to governments and private clients. The defendants included executives associated with the company that sold and supported the software, which prosecutors argued was employed without proper legal oversight to monitor phones and communications of journalists, lawyers, and others.

Among those targeted was Thanasis Koukakis, a veteran Greek journalist whose phone was reportedly infected with Predator in 2022 during his coverage of financial and political corruption. Evidence presented at trial showed that the spyware allowed its operators to access private communications, location data, and other sensitive material — invasions that rights advocates had previously warned could have chilling effects on journalism and broader civil liberties.

The court handed down eight-year prison sentences to the primary executives found responsible for selling and facilitating the use of the spyware within Greece. Additional defendants received varying custodial terms and fines, reflecting their differing roles in marketing, licensing, and technical support for Predator’s operations. Judges said that the unlawful surveillance violated constitutional privacy protections and posed serious threats to democratic norms, including freedom of expression and press independence.

Press freedom organisations and civil liberties groups welcomed the verdict as a crucial precedent, highlighting that commercial spyware should not be turned into an unregulated tool for clandestine monitoring of journalists or civil society. While the convictions focus on the business operators rather than the unnamed clients allegedly using the software, the ruling sends a clear signal that selling and enabling intrusive digital surveillance carries legal consequences in Greece.

The case drew extensive public attention in Greece and beyond after initial reports in 2022 exposed how market-available spyware could be abused to evade legal warrant requirements and monitor individuals without judicial authorisation. Koukakis and other targets had called on authorities to investigate and regulate commercial hacking tools, warning that unchecked use would undermine democratic oversight and privacy rights.

With the court’s decision now final, advocates say the focus must shift toward mechanisms that prevent similar abuses in the future, including stronger spyware export controls, clearer legal frameworks for electronic surveillance, and robust oversight to protect journalists and the public from unlawful intrusion.

Reference –

https://balkaninsight.com/2026/02/26/greek-court-found-guilty-four-individuals-in-wiretapping-scandal/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-spyware-maker-sentenced-to-8-years-in-greeces-predator-case/

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/26/greek-court-finds-4-guilty-in-major-2022-spyware-scandal

Greece: Executives of spyware firm used to surveil journalist Thanasis Koukakis sentenced to prison