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In the Predator case, a Czech trace was discovered.
An investigation into the activities of Cytrox, part of the Intellexa group, led journalists to the small Czech town of Krnov. Here, local entrepreneur, café owner, programmer and photographer Dvir Horef Hazan was associated with Intellexa, the developer of the Predator spyware. This software is used to spy on journalists, politicians, and activists around the world. According to a report by the Greek police, from 2020 to 2023, Hazan's company received almost three million euros from Intellexa, but the purpose of these payments remains unclear.
In 2020, Greek journalist Thanasis Koukakis suspected that his phone had been hacked. However, it wasn't until March 2022, after an analysis by Citizen Lab, that it became known that it had been monitored by Predator spyware. For ten weeks, the operators of the program were able to track every step of the journalist - both in his personal life and in his professional activities. In 2021, he received a message with a suspicious link, by clicking on which, the journalist opened access to his device for attackers.
Cytrox, which developed the Predator, is based in Hungary and is part of the Intellexa consortium. One of the group's subsidiaries, Intellexa SA, is located in Greece. In 2023, Intellexa and its management were sanctioned by the United States for using spyware to attack government officials, journalists, and citizens.
According to a report by the Greek police, Dvir Horef Hazan's companies, including Zambrano Trade and Hadastech, received almost three million euros from Intellexa in three years. These payments are allegedly not reflected in the financial statements of companies in the Czech Republic. Some of Hazan's companies, linked to IT consulting, marketing and mobile phone sales, are suspected of being used as a cover for the transfer of spying technology.
Hazan's companies are registered at the same address in Krnov, and among his partners is FoxITech, whose contacts match the data used to register the Intellexa website in Greece. Hazan himself claims that he has nothing to do with Intellexa, but his companies continue to appear in investigations.
Intellexa and its products, in particular Predator, have been the subject of international investigations and sanctions. Amnesty International released a report calling the activities of such companies a violation of human rights, stressing the need for an immediate global ban on spyware. Despite attempts to restrict their work, such companies continue to find ways to circumvent bans and export surveillance technology around the world.
Against the backdrop of these events, the investigation into the Koukakis case in Greece was closed in 2023 due to the lack of evidence of the use of Predator by government agencies. However, the Greek prosecutor's office decided to open a case against the employees and management of Intellexa for violating the confidentiality of communications. The trial is scheduled for next year.
Source
An investigation into the activities of Cytrox, part of the Intellexa group, led journalists to the small Czech town of Krnov. Here, local entrepreneur, café owner, programmer and photographer Dvir Horef Hazan was associated with Intellexa, the developer of the Predator spyware. This software is used to spy on journalists, politicians, and activists around the world. According to a report by the Greek police, from 2020 to 2023, Hazan's company received almost three million euros from Intellexa, but the purpose of these payments remains unclear.
In 2020, Greek journalist Thanasis Koukakis suspected that his phone had been hacked. However, it wasn't until March 2022, after an analysis by Citizen Lab, that it became known that it had been monitored by Predator spyware. For ten weeks, the operators of the program were able to track every step of the journalist - both in his personal life and in his professional activities. In 2021, he received a message with a suspicious link, by clicking on which, the journalist opened access to his device for attackers.
Cytrox, which developed the Predator, is based in Hungary and is part of the Intellexa consortium. One of the group's subsidiaries, Intellexa SA, is located in Greece. In 2023, Intellexa and its management were sanctioned by the United States for using spyware to attack government officials, journalists, and citizens.
According to a report by the Greek police, Dvir Horef Hazan's companies, including Zambrano Trade and Hadastech, received almost three million euros from Intellexa in three years. These payments are allegedly not reflected in the financial statements of companies in the Czech Republic. Some of Hazan's companies, linked to IT consulting, marketing and mobile phone sales, are suspected of being used as a cover for the transfer of spying technology.
Hazan's companies are registered at the same address in Krnov, and among his partners is FoxITech, whose contacts match the data used to register the Intellexa website in Greece. Hazan himself claims that he has nothing to do with Intellexa, but his companies continue to appear in investigations.
Intellexa and its products, in particular Predator, have been the subject of international investigations and sanctions. Amnesty International released a report calling the activities of such companies a violation of human rights, stressing the need for an immediate global ban on spyware. Despite attempts to restrict their work, such companies continue to find ways to circumvent bans and export surveillance technology around the world.
Against the backdrop of these events, the investigation into the Koukakis case in Greece was closed in 2023 due to the lack of evidence of the use of Predator by government agencies. However, the Greek prosecutor's office decided to open a case against the employees and management of Intellexa for violating the confidentiality of communications. The trial is scheduled for next year.
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