On Thursday, a Greek court sentenced the Intellexa founder to eight years behind bars for unauthorized wiretapping and breaches of privacy, as reported by multiple sources. 

Tal Dilian, alongside three other executives from Intellexa, faced trial for involvement in a scandal referred to as “Greek Watergate,” which traces back to 2022. The Greek administration was accused of utilizing Intellexa’s spyware to intercept the communications of politicians, journalists, business figures, and military personnel.

Others sentenced today include Dilian’s business associate Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou; his former deputy and Intellexa shareholder, Felix Bitzios; and Yiannis Lavranos, the owner of a company associated with Intellexa. 

Dilian did not reply to TechCrunch’s inquiry for comment. 

This marks the first documented instance of a spyware developer receiving a prison sentence due to the abuse of their technology.

In 2024, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on Intellexa along with several of its affiliated firms, Dilian, and Hamou, for their involvement in creating the spyware known as Predator, which was used to target Americans, including government officials and reporters.

The court has instructed authorities to conduct further investigations and has suspended the sentence while awaiting an appeal.