Intellexa founder Tal Dilian has lashed out at the Greek government over the phone hacking with Predator spyware , in a statement that is expected to spark a new political crisis in Athens. Dilian was sentenced in February 2026 to 8 years in prison for illegally accessing personal data in the “Predatorgate” scandal .
The spying scandal, often called the “Greek Watergate ,” involved the hacking of dozens of phones of senior ministers, opposition leaders, military officials and journalists using Intellexa ’s Predator spyware . The tool is capable of infiltrating iPhone and Android devices to steal call logs, text messages, emails and location data, usually by tricking the target into clicking on a malicious link.
See also: Predator: Intellexa founder sentenced to prison for wiretapping
Several senior Greek government officials, including the head of the national intelligence service and a senior adviser to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, resigned after revelations that the phones of several journalists had been hacked. No government official has been convicted in connection with the surveillance, and critics have accused Mitsotakis' of a cover-up.
Intellexa and the February 2026 Convictions
On February 26, 2026 , an Athens court issued the first convictions in the scandal, finding four individuals guilty of illegal access to information systems, breach of communications privacy, and interference with personal data systems. The convicted executives were Tal Dilian , founder of Intellexa and a former Israeli intelligence officer, Sara Hamou , Dilian 's business partner , Felix Bitzios , an Intellexa executive , and Yiannis Lavranos , owner of the Greek security company Kriel .
Each received a sentence of 126 years and 8 months, although under Greek law the maximum time to be served for misdemeanor convictions is limited to 8 years. The sentences were suspended pending appeal. In a statement, first published by Reuters, Dilian said he would not be a “scapegoat” and that he believed a conviction without evidence was not justice.
See also: Predator spyware – USA: New sanctions on Intellexa executives
Predator Technology and International Implications
Predator is sophisticated software that allows covert access to microphones, cameras, contacts and files on mobile devices . The spyware allows unauthorized data extraction, geolocation tracking and access to personal information on compromised devices. Intellexa , described as a commercial spyware company , specialized in supplying this surveillance technology.
According to Dilian, following the conviction, Intellexa operates "strictly under European and international regulations, providing technology exclusively to authorized governments and law enforcement agencies".
The US government imposed sanctions on Dilian in 2024 after Predator was found to have been used against the phones of US officials and journalists. The sanctions effectively make it illegal for anyone to do business with Dilian and his other business associates (who have also been sanctioned).
Political Impacts and Future Developments
Dilian’s statement after the conviction – that Intellexa provides technology “exclusively to authorized governments” – is reigniting political anger in Athens, with opposition leaders seizing on his words as proof that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government were directly behind the surveillance.
See also: Intellexa's Technical Analysis of Spyware PREDATOR
John Scott-Railton, a senior fellow at Citizen Lab, stressed the historic significance of the convictions: “This is the first time an executive at a mercenary spy firm has been convicted and sentenced to prison”He predicted that the convictions would make it difficult for the defendants to conduct business. The scandal continues to cause political turmoil in Greece.
According to Techcrunch, the convictions represent a historic decision for surveillance accountability and the rule of law in Greece. However, the suspensions of sentences and pending appeals suggest limited immediate consequences for the defendants. Despite the convictions and previous sanctions, Intellexa has continued its operations and deployed Predator against targets in Angola and Pakistan, suggesting that the company can continue to operate despite legal obstacles.
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