Otus: September ruling on EncroChat and Sky ECC legality
On 22 September Limburg District Court rejected objections about interception, transparency and a fair trial.
The defence challenged EncroChat and Sky ECC messages in the Otus investigation. Prosecutors opposed the arguments. This was a criminal evidence dispute, not a separate claim for government compensation.
The court applied the Supreme Court framework from June 2023 and April 2026. It found no concrete circumstances requiring a different assessment of how the data were obtained in this case. The transparency objection also failed.
The court found no breach of Articles 6 and 8 ECHR and admitted the messages. It imposed seventy months for preparing cocaine imports and participating in a cannabis organisation. Reduction from the otherwise appropriate 78 months reflected excessive delay, not unlawful interception.









































