Politis

First Conviction for Tal Dilian: From the 'Black Van' of Larnaca to the Interceptions in Athens

Published February 26, 2026, 17:17
First Conviction for Tal Dilian: From the 'Black Van' of Larnaca to the Interceptions in Athens

The 2nd Single-Member Criminal Court of Athens convicted Tal Dilian and three others for illegal telephone interceptions via the Predator software. The conviction marks the first substantial judicial 'punishment' for Dilian, who had avoided criminal consequences in Cyprus for the case of the spy van. The defendants were found guilty of illegal access to information systems, violation of telephone communication privacy, and interference with personal data archiving systems. The court imposed a total prison sentence of 126 years and 8 months, suspended until appeal. The decision was based on proof that the defendants acted with common intent and joint decision-making, organizing a network of illegal access to private communications. In Cyprus, the 'spy van' case had a different outcome, with the WiSpear company being imposed an administrative fine of €925,000 for the illegal collection of data at Larnaca Airport, but without criminal prosecution of Dilian.