Thread by @Eva_Cosse

#Greece’s lawmakers should withdraw a draft surveillance law, debated in parliament today, that lacks effective privacy & human rights safeguards.

If the government won’t press pause on this risky bill, parliament should.

More on the bill from @hrw here:
hrw.org/news/2022/12/0…

@hrw The bill is a flawed attempt to respond to a spyware scandal described as the "Greek Watergate" that has shaken Greek politics as it was revealed by investigative media outlets that dozens prominent figures were targeted by secret services and spyware.

politico.eu/article/greece…

@hrw The surveillance scandal began with revelations in November 2021 that Greece’s intelligence service, EYP, had wiretapped the phone of @Malichudis, a freelance reporter.

Here's a @we_are_solomon explaining what happened:

wearesolomon.com/mag/accountabi…

It then emerged that the mobile phone of @nasoskook, a freelance journalist, was infected by the Predator spyware – a software that allows users to monitor every aspect of a target's phone and that his phone was wiretapped by the intelligence service

insidestory.gr/article/who-wa…

@nasoskook In the summer, it was reported that the intelligence service had also conducted surveillance on the leader of the opposition party PASOK and MEP, Nikos Androulakis, and that there had been an attempt to hack his mobile phone with Predator.

euractiv.com/section/politi…

@nasoskook Since then a much broader and growing list of targets, including journalists, politicians, entrepreneurs, members of the government, and judicial officials have reportedly also been targeted by Predator according to the investigative outlet @documentonews

balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/Gree…

@nasoskook @documentonews Really important detailed investigation by investigative media outlets @insidestory_gr, @reporters_gr and others are pointing to the government as being complicit in the illegal surveillance.

Here's all the publications by @insidestory_gr on the issue: insidestory.gr/tagline/spyware

@nasoskook @documentonews @insidestory_gr @reporters_gr A Greek parliament inquiry into the surveillance scandal opened in September, but the ruling New Democracy party blocked dozens of witnesses proposed by opposition parties, including journalists whose phones had been wiretapped.

In addition, the ruling party-controlled committee conducting the inquiry decided that all inquiry meetings would be held behind closed doors & remain confidential, along with the committee’s concluding report, raising transparency concerns

euractiv.com/section/digita…

The bill fails to take into account objections from ADAE, the independent authority which oversees surveillance powers. ADAE criticized the government for failing to consult with it and said that the legislation effectively abolishes its oversight powers

iefimerida.gr/ellada/dysares…

The bill comes at time of rising concern about media freedom and the rule of law in Greece.Parliament should play its role and make sure that this legislation actually moves Greece in the direction of intelligence and surveilleance reform

Without proper safeguards and a clear understanding of what went wrong, a new surveillance law will only make things worse

hrw.org/news/2022/11/0…