"Twenty four former aid workers accused of facilitating the illegal entrance of migrants into Greece, and other crimes that carry lengthy prison terms, are set to appear in court on Lesbos in a trial being closely watched internationally. Human rights defenders from around the world, including Sarah Mardini, the Syrian refugee immortalised in the Netflix movie, The Swimmers, are slated to take the stand when proceedings before a court of appeals begin in the island's capital, Mytilene, on Thursday."
"After years of unjustifiable delays we expect the trial on felony charges to finally start, said Zacharias Kesses, the lawyer representing six of the defendants including Mardini. At the heart of this case is an attempt by authorities to criminalise humanitarian assistance so that all of these aid organisations leave Lesbos. The NGO worker on trial for people-smuggling in Lesbos"
Twenty-four former aid workers face felony charges including facilitating the illegal entrance of migrants and other crimes carrying lengthy prison terms. The trial opens in Mytilene, Lesbos, before a court of appeals after years of delays. Human rights defenders from around the world, including Sarah Mardini, are slated to testify. Lesbos was a frontline entry point in 2015, with more than 800,000 people believed to have passed through the island during the refugee crisis. Hundreds of volunteers and humanitarians responded at that time. Authorities' actions are described as attempts to criminalise humanitarian assistance and force aid organisations off the island.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]