Thessaloniki appeals court upholds conviction in online privacy violation case
The Three-Member Misdemeanor Appeals Court of Thessaloniki in northern Greece has sentenced TV show co-host Stathis Panagiotopoulos to five years in prison for posting explicit videos of his former partner online without her consent.
Upon the prosecutor’s recommendation, the court elevated the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony, concluding that the accused had intended to harm the victim. The judges identified no mitigating factors and deferred the execution of the sentence until the case reaches the next level of jurisdiction, a five-member appeals court. They imposed several restrictive conditions, including a travel ban, mandatory check-ins at a police station, and a bail requirement of 10,000 euros.
The trial was held privately at the victim’s request. In his defense, the 60-year-old reportedly acknowledged his actions but emphasized that he did not intend to cause harm to the accuser. According to reports, he argued that his actions were an expression of erotic passion resulting from a diagnosed mental illness.
This case, the first of the three to attract public attention with a shared criminal charge, advanced to the Three-Member Appeals Court of Thessaloniki after successive appeals against the prior judgment of the Misdemeanor Court. In accordance with that ruling, the 60-year-old received a suspended five-year prison sentence and an additional monetary fine of 10,000 euros.
One of the appellants was the prosecutor, contending that the specific offense, namely persistent violation of personal data, should be escalated to its criminal form – a transition that was indeed carried out.
