Greece decided to ban the sale of Spyware as countries wrestle with The illegal wiretapping controversy escalated.
The government decision Monday comes after that left-Publishing the Documento newspaper suite list of 30 high-profile victims were targeted by Predator malware.
“We’ll go with global ban on reduction of illegal software in Greece, a work that will make Greece first country in Europe to ban trading of Harmful software in its lands,” government A spokesman, Giannis Oikonomo, told reporters, adding that the bill would soon Subject to parliament.
Okonomo pointed out that the newspaper made allegations of Politicians and businessmen are spied on onIncluding former Prime Minister Antonios Samaras and several senior ministers of The current new democracy governmentwithout the required documents for back up claim.
The list also included main Syriza opposition deputies like Olga Jirovassili, as well as prominent journalists.
The spyware scandal rocked the Greek political scene, eliciting strong reactions from opposition parties, as well as the European Union.
editor-in-president of Documento, Costas Fexifanis, visited the Supreme Court on Monday in to present material related to the allegations after the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Isidoros Dogiakos, ordered a preliminary investigation into the matter.
The Syndicate of Journalists expressed its deep concern over Stormy developments in Wiretapping scandal while taking pictures at the same time on Kyriakos Mitsotakis government and the Ministry of Justice.
“Rights in risk”
Meanwhile, Greece conservative government It has been heavily criticized by a European Parliament committee investigating spyware use On the part of European Union governments, Human Rights Watch said on Monday in a report.
to spy on Journalists and opposition leaders don’t just raise serious concerns over media Freedom and freedom of expression in Greece but also violating confidentiality of Press sources protected under the European Convention on Human rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights Watch said.
“For several months, I have been in afraid. in fear of Meeting people and my sources and shaming them,” Stavros Malichodis, a freelance reporter, told Human Rights Watch.
“He. She took me a lot of It’s time to walk away from what happened and start Doing the preparation of reports again,” he is added.
Discover Malichudis in November 2021, the Greek intelligence service EYP . spied on According to Human Rights Watch.
The report stated that Greece fell 38 positions within the country year in Press Freedom Index 2022 Reporters Without Borders, with The organization It is listed as the lowest ranked country in the European Union.
In September, dozens of Witnesses blocked by government from sharing in Inquiry on The so-called “Greek Watergate” surveillance scandal.
In addition, she said that all investigation meetings will do remain Confidential and will be held behind Closed doors, which raises concerns about transparency.
The government should hands off do not interfere with Human Rights Watch said that the jobs of journalists should Opening a Greek parliamentary investigation and cooperation with European Parliament.
Surveillance scandal
On August 8, Mitsotakis admitted that Nikos Andrulakis, the leader of Opposition Pasuk Kinal partywas bugged by the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP) but denied the knowledge of the operation.
scandal first appeared on August 4 when Panagiotis Kontollion was-head of EYP told a parliamentary committee that EYP was spying on financial Journalist Thanassis Kokakis. After testifying, Contollion resigned.
A parliamentary investigation was launched after Androlakis complained to the top prosecutors about trying to hack mobile phone with Predator spyware.
Opposition parties blame Mitsotakis for The scandal, something he denied, called for for him government to hold early elections.
