Spyware

The United States announced new sanctions Monday against a commercial spyware company headed by a former Israeli military officer whose program allowed easy access to almost any information stored on a smartphone.

The US has imposed sanctions on five individuals and one entity involved in the Intellexa Consortium, which sold the illegal Predator spyware in Greece, found in dozens of phones, including those belonging politicians, journalists and businesspeople.

The sanctioned individuals include key figures involved in Greece's wiretapping scandal, which became known in 2022.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized on Sept. 4 the purchase of Israel-made Pegasus spyware by the country's police to "intercept communications" of political leaders and activists under his predecessor's government.

Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has dismantled a cyber espionage network that had seized the personal data of thousands of individuals worldwide, including Turkish citizens, security sources have said.

Even if we were to accept the argument that the illegal spyware affair is solely about certain private parties and individuals, the Greek justice system had a duty to investigate further.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the high-profile wiretapping case have pointed out shortcomings in the judicial investigation, following the announcement on Tuesday by the Supreme Court prosecutor of the completion of the preliminary investigation.

Greek Supreme Court Prosecutor Georgia Adeilini announced on Tuesday the results of the investigation into the phone-tapping case. The investigation found no involvement of any state service in the use or purchase of the illegal Predator spyware, which was discovered on the phones of numerous prominent Greek politicians, journalists, and businesspeople.

Supreme Court Report on Wiretapping: Three Main Findings

The investigation by the Supreme Court into the wiretapping case has led to three main conclusions. After a thorough investigation lasting almost two years, the Supreme Court Prosecutor Georgia Adeilini announced the findings today. According to the report, the key points of the investigation are:

Political tensions are expected to escalate this week, both between political parties and within them.

Tensions and mobilizations against a controversial bill proposed by the Health Ministry to reform mental health services are anticipated to peak as the bill is voted on this week.

The former head of Greece's EYP intelligence service has denied allegations that the state agency used illegal phone malware in 2019-2022 to spy on targets, court documents show.

Greece became mired in scandal in 2022 following allegations by an opposition party leader and a journalist that they had been under state surveillance via phone malware.