“A really worrying trial”, according to the UN, which calls for the abandonment of all charges

Dutch rescuer Pieter Wittenberg arrives at the courthouse, on trial along with 23 aid workers on the island of Lesbos, January 10, 2023. MANOLIS LAGOUTARIS / AFP

“This kind of trial is really worrying. » The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has asked the Greek courts to drop all charges against humanitarian aid workers whose trial is currently taking place on the island of Lesbos, in Greece.

That ” criminalizes actions that save people’s lives”, denounced Elizabeth Throssell, a spokesperson for the High Commission, during the regular UN briefing in Geneva, Friday, January 13. And to insist:

“Saving lives and providing humanitarian aid should never be criminalized. Such actions are, quite simply, a humanitarian and human rights imperative. »

Greek justice accuses 24 aid workers of” spying “ and help to ” illegal immigration “including Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini, who, together with her Olympic swimmer sister, inspired a fiction broadcast on Netflix.

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A “farce” according to Amnesty International

The court of Mytilene, capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, should render its decision during the day on the possible cancellation of part of the procedure, that relating to the accusations of” spying “ due to procedural flaws. If it were decided, it would put an immediate end to this trial denounced as a « farce » by Amnesty International. The prosecutor requested this cancellation on Friday morning.

M^me Throssel insisted on “deterrent effect” of such lawsuits, “human rights defenders and humanitarian organizations having been forced to suspend their work in favor of human rights in Greece and other EU countries”she pointed out.

“Despite the critical need for life-saving assistance in the Eastern Mediterranean”where nearly 500 migrants have died or gone missing since 2021 according to the International Organization for Migration, “there are currently no civilian search and rescue organizations operating in Greece”recalled Mr.^me Throssell.

The Office is also concerned that legislation in a number of European countries “is not used to criminalize both migrants and those who assist them”she pointed out, adding that “Combating migrant smuggling ultimately hinges on improving safe pathways for regular migration”.

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The World with AFP