Bangladesh, Feb. 27 -- In a watershed ruling that could reverberate across Europe and beyond, a Greek court has handed down maximum cumulative prison sentences to four individuals linked to the controversial spyware firm Intellexa S.A., marking the first criminal convictions tied to the unlawful deployment of the Predator surveillance software. The decision, announced on February 26, represents a pivotal moment in a yearslong scandal that has entangled journalists, politicians, military officials, and civil society members in Greece and other countries.

The court sentenced Tal Dilian, founder of Intellexa and a former Israeli intelligence officer; Felix Bitzios, a shareholder in the company; Sara Aleksandra Hamou, Intellexas business man...