It has become known as Greece's Watergate: spyware software and Greek intelligence targeted the mobile phones of government ministers, senior military officers, judges, and journalists.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called it a scandal, but no government officials have been charged in court and critics accuse the government of trying to cover up the truth.
Instead, a low-ranking judge will on Wednesday hear the case against two Israelis and two Greeks, allegedly involved with marketing spy software known as Predator.
In the summer of 2022, Nikos Androulakis, then an MEP and head of the socialist party Pasok, discovered that his phone had been targeted with malicious software linked to Predator, which can access messages, camera, and microphone on affected devices.
After the revelation, it was revealed that Greece's National Intelligence Service (EYP) had tracked Androulakis for 'national security reasons', raising significant concerns about government oversight and accountability.
Despite intense scrutiny and the resignation of several officials, including the head of EYP, no concrete accountability measures have emerged against high-ranking government members, leading to ongoing criticism of the government's handling of the situation.
Many believe that the case reflects a deeper political crisis that affects not just the judiciary but also the integrity of independent authorities in Greece.
The use of surveillance tools like Predator raises concerns about their implications for political free speech and the right to privacy amidst ongoing government scrutiny.
As the court proceedings develop, the international community remains watchful, with implications for Greece’s diplomatic relations and internal governance under scrutiny.
