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HumanRights360

Free Humanitarians Open letter

15/11/2021
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To:

The Hellenic Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis MITRACHIS, The Hellenic Minister for Justice, Konstantinos TSIARAS,
The European Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis SCHINAS, The European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, Ylva JOHANSSON,
The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier REYNDERS.

Sarah Mardini, Seán Binder, Nassos Karakitsos and 21 others face trial on the 18th of November on the Greek island of Lesvos.

Sarah, Seán and Nassos spent more than three months in pre-trial detention in 2018 and are facing trial for people smuggling, being part of a criminal organisation, espionage and money laundering, which could carry a sentence of up to 25 years in jail. A trial that seeks to criminalise saving lives and solidarity according to human rights organisations.1 On 18 November 2021, after three long years of uncertainty, court proceedings will finally start on Lesvos.

The charges are exceptionally serious but are far from uncommon as authorities across Europe continue to criminalise people and organisations that assist and support refugees and save lives (at sea and on land). In 2019, 171 individuals across 13 European states faced criminalisation2 and between 2020 and 2021 at least 44 people in Greece faced similar accusations like those against Sarah, Seán and Nassos.3 Criminalisation coincides with the securitisation of borders and worrying instances of pushbacks and collective expulsion, especially at sea.

The humanitarian assistance of people like Seán, Sarah and Nassos has been essential as at least 1,675 people have lost their lives or gone missing on the East Mediterranean sea since 2015.4 Since their release from pre-trial detention, they have campaigned tirelessly against the criminalisation of solidarity and for refugee rights. If found guilty, their case could set a worrying precedent with adverse implications for humanitarian assistance far beyond Greece. Therefore XX civil society organisations stand with Sarah, Seán and Nassos and call on:

  • The Greek authorities to drop all charges against Seán, Sarah, Nassos and the other 21 charged and recognise their work as humanitarian assistance and essential for saving lives at
  • Greek authorities and EU institutions to ensure that the principles of a fair trial are upheld and that independent trial monitoring will be allowed during these
  • European institutions to do more to prevent criminalisation and encourage member states to include exemptions for humanitarian assistance in their national legislation whilst ensuring that those member states who have such an exemption apply

11 November 2021 Co-signed by:

  1. ASTERIAS – STARFISH FOUNDATION
  2. Better Days
  3. Better Life With Refugees
  4. Border Violence Monitoring Network
  5. borderline-europe Human Rights without Borders V.
  6. Choosehumanity (Switzerland)
  7. Collective Aid BiH
  8. Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity
  9. Distribute Aid
  10. Donate4Refugees
  11. Dutch Council for Refugees
  12. Europe Must Act
  13. Fountain solicitors
  14. Greek Council for Refugees (GCR)
  15. Herts for Refugees
  16. Hope Cafe Athens
  17. HumanRights360
  18. Humans for Rights Network
  19. I HAVE
  20. Just Action
  21. Khalifa Ihler Institute
  22. Khora Community Centre
  23. kitev
  24. Koraki
  25. LeaveNoOneBehind
  26. Legal Centre Lesvos
  27. Lesvos Solidarity
  28. Lighthouse Relief (LHR)
  29. Love Without Borders-For Refugees in Need
  30. Massive Outpouring of Love (MOOL)
  31. Migration Policy Group
  32. MIGREAT
  33. One Family – No Borders
  34. OpenEmbassy
  35. Oxfam
  36. Pampiraiki Support Initiative for Refugees and Migrants
  37. ProAsyl
  38. Project Armonia
  39. ReFOCUS Media Labs
  40. Refugee Biriyani & Bananas
  41. Refugee Legal Support
  42. Refugee Rescue
  43. Rethinking Refugees
  44. Samos Advocacy Collective
  45. Samos LGBTQI+ Group
  46. Samos Volunteers
  47. ShowerPower
  48. Still I Rise
  49. Wells Refugee Aid

 

1 Greece: Facing jail for saving lives: Sarah Mardini and Seán Binder (Amnesty International, 14 October 2019) <link> accessed 3 November 2021; Greece: Rescuers at Sea Face Baseless Accusations (Human Rights Watch, 5 November 2018) <link> accessed 3 November 2021
2 Help is No Crime: Are EU Policies Moving in the Right Direction? (Picum, October 2021) <link> accessed 3 November 2021
3 Greece files against 33 NGO members for assisting human traffickers (Keep Talking Greece, 8 September 2020) <link> accessed 20 November 2020; Τέλος στη δράση ευρωπαϊκών ΜΚΟ που διευκόλυναν την διακίνηση µεταναστών από την Τουρκία στη Λέσβο (Vima Press, 8 September 2020) <link> accessed 20 November; Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection ʻ19-07-2021: (4) µέλη Μ.Κ.Ο. και (6) υπήκοοι τρίτων χωρών περιλαµβάνονται σε δικογραφία για οργανωµένη δράση ατόµων που δραστηριοποιούνταν στη διευκόλυνση της παράνοµης εισόδου αλλοδαπών στην ελληνική επικράτεια µέσω των νησιών του Βορειοανατολικού Αιγαίου (19 July 2021) <link> accessed 27 September 2021; Giannis Souliotis ʻΜεταναστευτικό: Βαριές διώξεις εις βάρος µελών τεσσάρων ΜΚΟʼ (Kathimerini, 20 July 2021)
4 Missing Migrant Project (IOM) <link> accessed 5 October 2021

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