The Israeli courts ruled that the posts, publications, and reports were false, the Israeli courts ruled that the posts, publications, and reports by Greek journalist Thanasis Koukakis against the owner of the “black van,” Tal Dillian, regarding the surveillance scandal and the “Predator” electronic system.
The Rishon LeZion District Court in Israel awarded Tal Dillian €75,000 euros in damages and ordered Thanasis Koukakis to immediately remove the disputed posts from social media platforms and publish a public apology in English, Hebrew, and Greek, using text specified by the court.
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What the text says
Koukakis is ordered to publish a statement acknowledging that his previous publications, which linked Tal Dillian to the alleged wiretapping of Greek military personnel, politicians, and journalists (including his own), the sale of espionage systems to dictatorial regimes and criminal organizations, as well as his portrayal as the central figure in a global security “coup,” were false, baseless, and defamatory, even going so far as to label them “fake news” and offering a sincere apology.
Dilian’s Response
Ahead of the hearing on the appeal he has filed with the Greek courts—in which he was found guilty in the lower court— the Israeli businessman states in a written statement that “today’s decision speaks for itself. I have never operated such a system, and our business has always been the lawful sale of cyber intelligence capabilities to governments for legitimate purposes of national security and law enforcement law.”
He also added that, “once the appeal is heard, he is certain that the evidence and testimony will show that there is no proof linking him or the other three defendants to the alleged acts.”
The Predator Case
In February 2026, a Greek court found Tal Dillian and three other individuals associated with Intellexa guilty of personal data breaches in the “Predator” case. The case concerns the use of the Predator software system during the period 2020–2021, and the court ruling states that Thanasis Koukakis’s phone had been infected with the “Predator” system developed by “Cytrox,” a company belonging to the “Intellexa” group.
