Opposition leader and PASOK president Nikos Androulakis is attending the hearing of Greek intelligence service (EYP) director Themistoklis Demiris at Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency Committee. According to opposition sources, Androulakis attacked Supreme Court prosecutor Konstantinos Tzavellas for refusing to appear before the committee for his own hearing.
Androulakis: You’re forcing me to take legal action against the intelligence chief
According to the same sources, Androulakis asked the EYP director why he doesn’t comply with the Council of State decision, which states that “it must be ensured that monitored persons can have access not only to the license granting, but also to the application of the authority that requested the license, so they can understand the reasons invoked for granting this license.”
“Why are you exposing the country internationally? Don’t you know the damage this causes to national interests? You surely understand that you’re forcing me to take legal measures against every responsible party, not excluding yourself? You’re forcing me into something unprecedented in Greek and European history. As opposition leader, to take legal action against the intelligence service director,” Androulakis stated.
Detailed PASOK briefing:
“Mr. Demiris, you did what your duty as EYP director requires and you’re present at the committee, unlike the Supreme Court prosecutor, who we learn is not attending citing separation of powers. Of course, his refusal is absolutely unjustified for a senior state official, who has an obligation not only to protect the independence of judicial decisions but also to contribute to Parliament’s function and the people’s representatives, in whose name justice is administered.
Mr. Tzavellas, who himself signed surveillance orders, instead of declaring recusal from the illegal surveillance case, preferred to abstain from accountability before Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency Committee. So the judges themselves are being judged.
However, Mr. Demiris, your refusal to comply with the unanimous decision of the Council of State plenary 465/2024 creates a painful impression – first of all for me as a surveillance target.
It was ruled that “when the decision to restrict communication confidentiality is granted based on a reasoned and detailed request from competent national authorities, it must be ensured that monitored persons can have access not only to the license granting, but also to the application of the authority that requested the license, so they can understand the reasons invoked for granting this license.”
In my case, however, ADAE only notified me of the order number and not the other case file elements, which your service refused to provide under your personal responsibility.
So the questions are clear: Why don’t you comply with the Council of State decision? I call on you to immediately provide the file with elements that accompanied the order lifting communication confidentiality as you’re obliged to do. And be clear about this file’s existence, not evasive. After all, the Prime Minister himself declared before me in the 2023 debate that no national security reason existed for my surveillance. Therefore, what secrecy reason do you invoke, when your political superior, Mr. Mitsotakis, says no reason exists?
Mr. Demiris, you come from the diplomatic corps and throughout your career served national interest and legality, so why don’t you now comply with the Council of State’s explicit ruling?
Why are you exposing the country internationally? Don’t you know the damage this causes to national interests? You surely understand that you’re forcing me to take legal measures against every responsible party, not excluding yourself?
You’re forcing me into something unprecedented in Greek and European history. As opposition leader, to take legal action against the intelligence service director.
Listening to your opening statement, I finally have two observations:
You said you undertook to create a new EYP and inherited a situation under difficult conditions, explain to us exactly what you mean. What are these difficult conditions that forced you to create a new EYP?
Second, you mentioned that in times of great challenges you want to create a framework protecting officials’ communications. I want to remind you that after assuming your duties, I had requested checking ministers’, MPs’ and all officials’ phones to protect them from illegal software. You did nothing. So I see more hypocrisy than concern for protecting national security.”
