Greek Parliament Refuses to Question Supreme Court Over Spyware Ruling
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Loading... - Chantel Jonkers
- 09 Aug 2024
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The Greek Parliament's Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency has rejected a request from opposition parties to summon Supreme Court prosecutors to explain their decision regarding a high-profile telephone surveillance case. This ruling had absolved state institutions of responsibility in the wiretapping scandal that has roiled the nation.
Members of the ruling New Democracy party voted against the proposal, effectively blocking the opposition's attempt to hold the judiciary accountable. Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of the opposition party Pleusi Eleftherias, criticized the move, stating, "The government is attempting to swiftly and forcefully shut down the committee."
The opposition coalition, consisting of five parties—SYRIZA, PASOK, Pleusi Eleftherias, New Left, and the Greek Communist Party (KKE)—had requested that Parliament summon Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adeilini and deputy prosecutor Achilleas Zisis. They sought explanations for the decision to archive the investigation into the wiretapping scandal.
However, New Democracy MP Thanos Pleuris argued that the summons would violate constitutional provisions, asserting that the committee should not overstep its bounds by attempting to act as a substitute for the judiciary. He further contended that submitting the report and case files to Parliament breached the criminal code since an ongoing criminal investigation was still in progress.
The wiretapping scandal, which came to light in 2022, revolves around allegations that the illegal spyware Predator was used to surveil journalists, politicians, and other public figures. The New York Times reported that the simultaneous tapping of some individuals' mobile phones by the Greek intelligence agency EYP, combined with the presence of the Predator spyware, suggested possible collaboration between the spy service and those responsible for the spyware.
On July 30, the Supreme Court Prosecution Office concluded that no state ministry or agency had utilized the illegal Predator software or any other surveillance tools. Furthermore, the office determined that Vasiliki Vlachou, the prosecutor at the Greek intelligence agency EYP, had acted within the bounds of Greek law when she lifted communications privacy protections from 2020 to 2024, permitting the use of surveillance software.
Despite clearing state institutions, the Supreme Court Prosecution Office did find grounds to pursue criminal charges against certain company representatives and owners for violating the privacy of telephone communications. These companies were implicated in similar privacy violations in other countries, targeting politicians, journalists, and other figures in Greece.
The ruling has sparked widespread criticism, with opposition leaders accusing the government of orchestrating a cover-up. PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, whose mobile phone was reportedly targeted by Predator, condemned the situation, stating, "First, the government contaminated the secret services, and now it is tainting the judiciary as well. This is the reality."
