Greek ex-minister files ECHR complaint over wiretapping case

Former Greek minister Christos Spirtzis has escalated his legal battle over the country's wiretapping scandal by filing a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. This move follows a similar action taken by journalist Thanasis Koukakis, signaling a growing international challenge to Greece's handling of alleged surveillance abuses.

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I have filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

Spirtzis's complaint, detailed by his lawyer, centers on the dismissals of the case by the Supreme Court Prosecutor's Office. It also scrutinizes the handling of a request to disqualify a former deputy prosecutor of the National Intelligence Service (EYP), who later became a prosecutor at the Supreme Court. Spirtzis argues that the Greek judiciary's actions are influenced by the current government, led by Mitsotakis, and that such "coercion" is unacceptable.

In a statement, Spirtzis asserted that a prosecutor personally implicated in what he termed the "Greek Watergate" should not be allowed to handle and subsequently dismiss the case. He further criticized the Supreme Court Council for allegedly avoiding a substantive ruling on his request to recuse the prosecutor due to bias.

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The non-exclusion of the former EYP Prosecutor from the case and the denial of justice by the Supreme Court of Appeals regarding it, despite the exclusion request we submitted, did not close the case: they simply secured its European path.

According to Spirtzis's lawyer, the ECHR will examine the case under Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect the right to private life and freedom of expression, respectively. The complaint also invokes Article 6 (1) concerning the right to a fair trial and Article 13 on the right to an effective remedy. The lawyer noted that Greece will now face the ECHR over the alleged illegal use of "Predator" spyware, similar to a previous case involving Azerbaijan and "Pegasus."

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Greece will find itself before the Court for the illegal use of 'Predator', after Azerbaijan for 'Pegasus'.