Volunteers, aid workers face controversial trial in Greece

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - Dozens of volunteers and aid workers are set to go on trial in a Greek court Tuesday, accused of illegal operations on an east Aegean island in Greece, according to media reports.

The case has been criticized by several international humanitarian groups and was initially scheduled to take place in 2021 but was postponed because of procedural issues.

The defendants are charged with espionage and forgery, which can carry up to eight years in prison. Another investigation is taking place with charges of people smuggling, fraud, membership of a criminal organization and money laundering, which could carry up to 20 years in prison.

“This trial reveals how the Greek authorities will go to extreme lengths to deter humanitarian assistance and discourage migrants and refugees from seeking safety on the country’s shores,” the director of Amnesty International’s European regional office, Nils Muižnieks, said in a statement before the trial. “It is farcical that this trial is even taking place. All charges against the rescuers must be dropped without delay.”

Among the defendants is Sarah Mardini, who is a refugee with her sister, Yusra. In 2015, the Mardinis swam from Türkiye to Lesvos and helped save 18 fellow passengers by pulling a sinking boat to safety.

Sarah Mardini, along with Irish-German diver Sean Binder, were volunteers of the NGO Emergency Response Center International (ERCI) at the time of their arrest in February 2018.

Yusra Mardini participated with the refugee swimming team at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. Their story was later made into a Netflix movie.

The case includes defendants from several countries, including Greece. The defendants all deny the charges.