Greek court convicts Intellexa founder Tal Dilian, three others in wiretapping scandal
The former Israeli intelligence officer’s spyware has helped some of the world’s most brutal regimes spy on journalists and political opponents.
Four business executives linked to the spyware developer Intellexa have been convicted by a Greek court for their involvement in the illegal wiretapping of government ministers, military officials, and journalists.
The convicted executives included Tal Dilian, the founder of Intellexa and a former commander of an elite Israeli intelligence unit; his ex-wife and business partner Sara Hamou; Intellexa executive Felix Bitzios; and Yiannis Lavranos, who owned the Greek security firm that purchased Intellexa’s Predator spyware.
The court sentenced each defendant to serve eight years in prison, suspended pending appeals. The four executives were convicted of “breaching the confidentiality of telephone communications,” the presiding judge said, as well as illegally accessing information systems.
In 2023, as part of the Cyprus Confidential investigation, ICIJ reported on Intellexa’s sale of spyware to some of the world’s most brutal regimes. Hamou, a corporate offshoring specialist, played a key role in establishing a base of operations for the company in Cyprus. Dilian, Hamou, and Bitzios were sanctioned by the U.S. government in March and September 2024, but sanctions were lifted on Hamou in late 2025.
SPYWARE The spy, the lawyer and their global surveillance empire Nov 15, 2023
Recommended reading CYPRUS CONFIDENTIAL Russia secretly acquired Western technology to protect its nuclear submarine fleet Oct 23, 2025 SPYWARE The spy, the lawyer and their global surveillance empire Nov 15, 2023 IMPACT Cyprus greenlights sanctions unit following ICIJ investigation into financial services sector Jul 14, 2025
Other Sources Covering This Story
4 sourcesMultiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.
Massachusetts sues Bitcoin Depot, alleging the crypto ATM operator knowingly facilitated crypto scams
As crypto industry expands, U.S. slashes office examining dirty money safeguards of cryptocurrency exchanges
Did this story change how you see things?
Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.
The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.
See our sourcesMost Read This Week
Offshore Tax Haven Network: How Billionaires Hide Trillions from Public Coffers
Major Pharmaceutical Company Concealed Drug Side Effects for Over a Decade
Water Contamination Crisis: Industrial Waste Poisoning Rural Communities
Climate Data Manipulation: Energy Companies Funded Misleading Research for Decades
Foreign Influence Operations: Tracking Disinformation Networks Across Social Media
