Convicted spyware executive suggests Greek government role in multiple phone hacking cases

The founder of the spyware company Intellexa has said he plans to appeal a conviction issued by a Greek court, in which he and three other executives were found guilty of illegally obtaining personal data as part of a large-scale wiretapping operation in the country.

The surveillance scandal, widely referred to as “Greek Watergate,” involved the hacking of dozens of mobile phones belonging to senior government officials, opposition figures, military personnel, and journalists. The attacks were carried out using Intellexa’s Predator spyware, a tool capable of infiltrating both iPhones and Android devices to extract sensitive data such as call records, messages, emails, and location information, often by luring targets into clicking malicious links.

The controversy led to significant political fallout in Greece. Several high-ranking officials resigned, including the head of the country’s national intelligence agency and a senior aide to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after reports revealed that journalists had been targeted. Despite the scale of the scandal, no government officials have been convicted, and critics have accused the administration of attempting to conceal its involvement.

Tal Dilian, Intellexa’s founder, was convicted in February and sentenced to eight years in prison. In a statement first reported by Reuters, Dilian said he would not accept being treated as a “scapegoat.”

His comments mark the clearest indication so far from someone within Intellexa suggesting that the Greek government may have authorised the surveillance activities.

“I believe a conviction without evidence is not justice; it could be part of a cover-up and even a crime,” Dilian said, adding that he is prepared to present evidence to both national and international regulators.

Dilian also stated that surveillance tools like Predator are generally sold only to government entities, which are responsible for ensuring their lawful use.

The case has also drawn international attention. In 2024, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Dilian after Predator spyware was reportedly used to target devices belonging to U.S. officials and journalists. These sanctions effectively prohibit individuals and organisations from engaging in business transactions with Dilian or his associated entities.