Case Predator goes to civil courts: eight victims of illegal surveillance demand €7.6 million in compensation from Intellexa and 13 individuals.
Telephone wiretapping scandal Predator spyware in Greece received a new continuation: eight people who claim to have been victims of illegal surveillance have filed their first civil lawsuit and are demanding compensation totaling €7.6 million.
The claim has been filed with the Plenipotentiary Court of First Instance of Athens and must be heard April 7, 2027. According to News247the plaintiffs demand full civil compensation for moral damages for illegal invasion of privacy, violation of the secrecy of communications and processing of personal data.
Among the plaintiffs is a journalist Thanasis Koukakiscybersecurity specialist Artemis Seafordemployee ΕΛ.ΑΣ Pinelopi Minyatiemployee of MEP Stelios Kimbouropoulos Antonia Primbaemployees ΕΥΠ Angeliki Rusu And Zoe Maria Sakkaliadvocate Ioannis Fitilis and journalist Spyros Sideriswho had not previously appeared in criminal proceedings.
From criminal case to compensation
Athens News previously wrote in detail that the Predator case has become one of the worst institutional scandals of recent years in Greece. The international media called him “Greek Watergate”and the BBC, Politico and Le Monde emphasized that this was not about everyday wiretapping, but about the use of spyware against journalists, politicians, officials, military personnel and other persons with access to sensitive information.
In February 2026, the court of first instance already sentenced four defendants in the case, including Tal Dilian. Each of them was given a cumulative heavy sentence, but execution of the sentence was suspended pending the consideration of the case in the second instance. This detail caused sharp criticism, because after the high-profile trial, the convicts actually remained free pending appeal. Yes, justice sometimes looks like a theater where the curtain falls, but the actors calmly go home.
Later, the investigation took a new turn: the case materials were divided, and the part related to possible espionage returned to the Supreme Court – Areopagus. The Athens News wrote that the court paid attention to the capabilities of Predator, remote access to data, the scale of information collected and the status of the victims. Wiretapping scandal: case returned to the Supreme Court.
Who is the lawsuit filed against?
According to EfSynthe lawsuit is directed against the company Intellexafour individuals already convicted in the first instance in the Predator case, as well as nine other individuals whom the plaintiffs associate with the operation of the spyware network.
The amount of claims is not distributed exactly equally: seven plaintiffs are demanding €1 million each, and one – €600,000. The total amount of the claim is €7.6 million. This is also reported Ethnos.
The lawsuit, as reported by Greek media, describes in detail the structure, work and distribution of roles within the Predator network. The plaintiffs argue that the illegal surveillance not only violated their right to privacy, but also created a long-term threat: they do not know who, when and how the data obtained from their phones can be used.
“A state of a kind of hostage”
In the lawsuit, the victims describe their situation as “a kind of hostage situation.” According to them, the consequences of illegal surveillance can accompany them throughout their lives, since they cannot know where the stolen data is and who can use it.
“We are victims of a kind of hostage state, which, under these circumstances, will accompany us throughout our lives, since we cannot know who and when will use the results of our completely illegal surveillance.”
Plaintiffs’ lawyer Zacharias Kesses said the Predator case “cannot be buried” despite efforts to have it dismissed or pushed off the public agenda. According to him, new legal actions are already in development, some of them have not yet been disclosed due to the secrecy of the investigation. His statement leads Rosa.
Why is this important
The civil lawsuit changes the direction of the case. So far the main focus has been on criminal liability, the investigation, the role of Intellexa, possible links to ΕΥΠ and political responsibility. Now victims are trying to get direct compensation for the damage they attribute to the Predator phone infection.
This is also important for other possible victims. According to Greek media, new lawsuits may soon follow from other individuals who consider themselves victims of illegal surveillance. If civil courts begin to consider such claims on their merits, the Predator case will finally move beyond a single criminal trial.
Athens News wrote at the beginning of the scandal that the story began not with an abstract technical error, but with specific people: journalist Thanasis Koukakis, PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis and other targets who received infected messages and fake links. Wiretapping scandal: authorities installed Predator on the phone of the former minister of citizen protection from SYRIZA.
Government position and open issues
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis previously said the Greek state “never bought or used” a Predator. However, during the trial, as noted by international media, the prosecutor pointed out that the Predator is not sold to private individuals and is offered only to government services. This gap between the official denial and the nature of the instrument itself remains one of the main political problems of the case.
That is why the scandal continues to return to the agenda for the fourth year. It concerns not only the private life of specific people, but also trust in government institutions, intelligence services, the judicial system and parliamentary control. If a citizen does not know who tapped his phone, where his data is now, and why the investigation has been going on for years, trust is not restored by press releases. What a surprise for a civilization built on press releases.
Main conclusion
The first civil claim for €7.6 million shows that the Predator case is not closed and is moving into a new phase. Eight plaintiffs demand not only political explanations and criminal liability, but also material compensation for violation of the secrecy of communications and private life.
The court hearing is scheduled for April 7, 2027. Until then, the case is likely to develop along several lines: a criminal appeal, a possible espionage investigation, new statements from victims and civil lawsuits. And the longer the authorities try to present Predator as a “closed story,” the more it resembles an open wound in the Greek institutional system.
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