The Athens Three-Member Misdemeanors Court found all four defendants guilty in the so-called ‘Email Gate’ case involving the leak of personal email addresses of Greek citizens living abroad. Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou — former New Democracy (ND) MEP and at the time head of ND’s Diaspora Office — and Michalis Stavrianoudakis, former General Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, were convicted on both charges: breach of official confidentiality and violation of Greece’s personal data protection law.
Partial Acquittals for Two Others
In contrast, the court acquitted Menios Koromilas — former ND Secretary for Local Government — and Nikos Theodoropoulos — then ND Secretary for Greeks Abroad — of breaching official confidentiality. However, both were convicted solely for violating the personal data protection law.
Sentences Handed Down
Asimakopoulou received a 20-month prison sentence, suspended; Stavrianoudakis was sentenced to 18 months, also suspended. Theodoropoulos was given an 8-month suspended sentence, while Koromilas received a 12-month sentence with a three-year suspension.
The verdict against Asimakopoulou was reached by majority vote (2–1), with the court president dissenting on the first charge but joining the majority on the second. For Stavrianoudakis, both convictions were decided by majority, as the president believed he should have been acquitted entirely. Theodoropoulos’ conviction was also 2–1, whereas Koromilas’ was unanimous.
The court unanimously recognized the mitigating factor of ‘good prior conduct’ for all four defendants.
Victims Present in Court
All four defendants attended the hearing. Also present were two of the three complainants — Greek citizens residing abroad — who had received unsolicited emails from Asimakopoulou’s political office and subsequently filed complaints over the unlawful use of their personal data.
Fines Upheld
The Council of State (Greece’s highest administrative court) upheld administrative fines imposed by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA): €40,000 against Asimakopoulou, and €10,000 each against Theodoropoulos and Koromilas. The Council had accepted ND’s appeal to annul the fine against the party itself. Earlier, the HDPA had levied a €400,000 fine against the Ministry of Interior — the source of the leaked diaspora email list — but the ministry did not appeal the decision.