"The court reached the only decision it could today based on the limited legal basis of the charges and the flimsy evidence the prosecutor presented. It is a huge relief that I will not spend the next 20 years in a prison cell, but at the same time, it is troubling that this should ever have been a possibility."
"Today, it was made clear, as it should always have been, that providing life-saving humanitarian assistance is an obligation, not a crime. That using WhatsApp is normal, not evidence of criminality. That buying laundry machines for a refugee camp does not make someone a money launderer. This acquittal must set a precedent."
The Court of Appeal of Lesvos acquitted a Kerry barrister and 23 volunteers of felony charges tied to work on Lesvos between 2016 and 2018. Arrests occurred in 2018 on counts including membership of a criminal organisation, facilitation of third-country nationals' entry, and money laundering. The accused had assisted people at risk attempting to reach safety. The acquittal rejected the prosecutor's evidence and clarified that life-saving humanitarian assistance is an obligation, WhatsApp use is not criminal evidence, and purchasing equipment for a refugee camp does not constitute money laundering. The accused previously spent over 100 days in prison and was released on bail in December 2018.
Read at Irish Independent
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