- summary
- 'Predatorgate': in 2021–22 the phones of journalists, opposition and government politicians and others were targeted with Intellexa's Predator spyware, in several cases alongside legal wiretapping by the National Intelligence Service (EYP). Journalist Thanasis Koukakis learned in March 2022 that his phone had been infected with Predator (2021) and that EYP had wiretapped him; in July 2022 Nikos Androulakis found his phone had been targeted with Predator while he was an MEP. The EYP chief and the Prime Minister's chief of staff and nephew, Grigoris Dimitriadis, resigned in August 2022. On 26 February 2026 an Athens court convicted Intellexa founder Tal Dilian, Sara Hamou, Felix Bitzios and Yiannis Lavranos (Krikel), sentencing them to a combined 126 years.
- country
- Greece
- date text
- 2021
- entities
- Users of Predator in Greece (procured via Krikel/Intellexa); National Intelligence Service (EYP) wiretaps; state links under investigation
- entity type
- Security Apparatus (suspected); private spyware vendor
- id
- 1157
- name
- Users of Predator in Greece (procured via Krikel/Intellexa); National Intelligence Service (EYP) wiretaps; state links under investigation
- role
- actor
- Financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis; PASOK-KINAL leader and then MEP Nikos Androulakis; more than 90 politicians (including ministers), journalists, business leaders and seni…
- entity type
- Individual — Journalist / Politician
- id
- 1158
- name
- Financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis; PASOK-KINAL leader and then MEP Nikos Androulakis; more than 90 politicians (including ministers), journalists, business leaders and senior military officers
- role
- target
- Users of Predator in Greece (procured via Krikel/Intellexa); National Intelligence Service (EYP) wiretaps; state links under investigation
- sources
- tactics
- Surveillance Infrastructure / Spyware Deployment
- label
- Surveillance Infrastructure / Spyware Deployment
- code
- TC-21
- needs review
- false
- role
- primary
- Direct Intimidation of Journalists and Civic Actors
- label
- Direct Intimidation of Journalists and Civic Actors
- code
- TC-51
- needs review
- false
- role
- secondary
- Surveillance Infrastructure / Spyware Deployment
- channels
- One-click spyware (Predator links) combined with EYP wiretapping
- civic response
- Koukakis and Androulakis went public and took legal action; the European Parliament's PEGA committee investigated. | Outcome: criminal trial from March 2025; convictions of four vendor-linked defendants on 26 February 2026 (Athens), with the court ordering further prosecutions.
- consequence category
- Operational Suppression
- created at
- 2026-09-25T12:58:49.238426+00:00
- date precision
- year
- escalation
- 5
- harm track
- Track 3 — Operational Suppression
- id
- GRC-001
- institutional consequence
- Data seizure/exposure; Chilling effect; Resignations; Criminal convictions of vendor executives
- notes
- Coded Sep 25 2026. Escalation 5: forensically confirmed infection (Koukakis). Androulakis: targeted (link), infection not confirmed. First Greek case in the database.
- occurred on
- 2021-01-01
- response ids
- trigger type
- TR-08: Proactive / Ambient
- updated at
- 2026-09-25T12:58:49.238426+00:00
- version
- 1
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