Supporters of activists gather outside a court before their trial in Mytilene port, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. Activists linked to a migrant search-and-rescue group will be tried in court, facing espionage and other felony charges. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)
In a move denounced by critics as “farcical,” Greece’s Conservative New Democracy government has put on trial more than two dozen aid workers helping and rescuing refugees and migrants to reach the country.
There are some 100,000 in detention camps around Greece, including on five islands near Turkey, which let human traffickers keep sending them after they reached that country from their homelands where they fled war, hardship and economic strife.
The trial began Nov. 18 with the defendants facing a line of charges including espionage, forgery and the unlawful use of radio frequencies to find refugees whom they said they were saving, not trafficking.
Human rights groups have condemned the charges as being politically motivated as the government has become hardline against refugees and migrants who began pouring into the country in 2015.
In a report, the BBC noted the trial is being held on the island of Lesbos, where most of the refugees and migrants being detained on five islands are being held after it became a symbol of the lingering crisis.
Irish-German Sean Binder stands at the yard of a court before his trial in Mytilene port, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021. Activists linked to a migrant search-and-rescue group will be tried in court, facing espionage and other felony charges. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)
Among the 24 defendants, 17 of whom are foreign nationals, is Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini, sister of the Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, who both i 2i015 dragged a refugee boat to safety when the engine failed.
Sarah Mardini has been barred from coming to Greece to defend herself and is watching the trial from Germany, where she was given asylum, the report noted, the focus now on the Greek government.
Prosecutors contend that the aid workers affiliated with a search and rescue group, monitored the Greek Coast Guard’s radio channels and used a vehicle with fake military licence plates to enter restricted areas on Lesbos.
If found guilty they could face five-year prison sentences and some are under investigation for other charges, including human smuggling, which brings sentences up to 25 years.
Sean Binder, an Irish aid worker facing trial, told the Irish broadcaster RTÉ: “I am happy to defend myself, I know I did nothing wrong, and we can prove that.”
“I’m being charged with crimes that I am supposed to have committed a year before I was ever on the island,” he added.
Nils Muižnieks, Director of Amnesty International’s European Regional Office, said in a statement: “The charges they face are farcical and should never have come to trial”.
“This emblematic case demonstrates how far the Greek authorities will go to deter people from helping refugees and migrants. Stopping rescue operations doesn’t stop people from making dangerous journeys, it simply makes those journeys more perilous,” he added.
ATHENS – A man who prosecutors said posed as a cancer doctor and prescribed herbs, charged with the death of 12 patients and 14 attempted homicides said he never told them using plants as medicine would cure them.
FALMOUTH, MA – The police in Falmouth have identified the victim in an accident involving a car plunging into the ocean on February 20, NBC10 Boston reported.
PHILADELPHIA – The Federation of Hellenic Societies of Philadelphia and Greater Delaware Valley announced that the Evzones, the Presidential Guard of Greece will be participating in the Philadelphia Greek Independence Day Parade on March 20.
JACKSON, Calif. — Evacuation orders were expanded Tuesday for remote California communities near a wildfire that may have been sparked by fireworks or a barbecue on the Fourth of July in a mountainous region that's a top tourism destination.
Sign up for a subscription
Want to save this article? Get a subscription to access this feature and more!
To purchase a gift subscription, please log out of your account, and purchase the subscription with a new email ID.
On April 2, 2021, we celebrated The National Herald’s 106th Anniversary. Help us maintain our independent journalism and continue serving Hellenism worldwide.
In order to deliver a more personalized, responsive, and improved experience, we use cookies to remember information about how you use this site. By Continuing to access the website, you agree that we will store data in a cookie as outlined in our Privacy Policy.
We use cookies on our site to personalize your experience, bring you the most relevant content, show you the most useful ads, and to help report any issues with our site. You can update your preferences at any time by visiting preferences. By selecting Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how your data is used, visit our cookie policy.
You’re reading 1 of 3 free articles this month. Get unlimited access to The National Herald. or Log In
You’ve reached your limit of free articles for this month. Get unlimited access to the best in independent Greek journalism starting as low as $1/week.