Spyware Case: Prosecutor Seeks Conviction of Four Defendants

Prosecutor Dim. Pavlidis demanded the conviction of all four defendants in the high-profile Predator spyware case during his lengthy closing argument before the Athens Single-Member Misdemeanors Court. He argued that evidence conclusively links the accused to Intellexa and Krikel—companies behind the illegal surveillance software—and that they acted as de facto managers. Thus, he urged their conviction on all charges: unlawful interference with personal data archiving systems (completed and attempted, jointly and continuously), breach of telephone conversation confidentiality (completed and attempted, jointly and continuously), and unauthorized access to information systems or data (completed and attempted, jointly and continuously). Notably, he proposed upgrading charges from ‘continuous’ to ‘serial’ commission—a change that would significantly increase potential penalties. Pavlidis emphasized that each message sent violates a distinct legal interest, stating, ‘The protected legal good changes with every message.’ Regarding unauthorized system access, he requested termination of criminal prosecution except for timely filed complaints, as this offense requires formal complaint. Earlier, he stressed that Predator is illegal in Greece, calling it a brutal violation of privacy and a threat to democracy’s core, as it grants surveillance powers to unauthorized individuals. He also left open the possibility of requesting further investigation into additional persons potentially involved.