Court rejects Dimitriadis lawsuit against investigative outlets over wiretapping reports
A lawsuit taken by Grigoris Dimitriadis, the former head of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ secretariat, against a number of media outlets regarding their reporting on the country’s wiretapping scandal has been thrown out of court.
Dimitriadis, who is also Mitsotakis’ nephew, took the case against financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis, investigative outlet Reporters United and the Efimerida ton Syntakton daily as their reporting on the scandal linked him to it.
Dimitriadis resigned in August 2022, along with the then head of Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP), when the scandal – dubbed “Predatorgate” – broke after Koukakis revealed that his phone had been intercepted with the use of malicious spyware Predator and by EYP. It was subsequently revealed that targets included PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis and a host of other figures.
However, Athens First-Instance Court ruled that the media reports on Dimitriadis did not contain false content nor abusive and or libelous content.
The defendants in the case welcomed the court’s decision.
“But we cannot celebrate. The journalistic work on the wiretapping case is still ongoing. And justice will take a long time to be served, said Koukakis, who was the target of a surveillance operation using malicious software.
“A vindication of our journalistic investigation. We will continue, without fear,” Reporters United said, which added: “We documented the connections starting with the transactions of Mr Dimitriadis and reaching Felix Bitzios, former deputy administrator and shareholder of Intellexa, which marketed Predator while based in Greece and licensed by the Mitsotakis government.”
Sophie in ‘t Veld, former MEP and rapporteur for the EU Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA), also welcomed the court’s decision.
“Good news: Greek court throws out the SLAPP case launched by Grigoris Dimitriadis (nephew/ex HoO of the PM) against media reporting on the spyware scandal.”
