Greece: Criminalization of humanitarian support to migrants and refugees must end

Greece: Criminalization of humanitarian support to migrants and refugees must end

Ahead of the continuation of the misdemeanour trial of Seán Binder and Sarah Mardini and 22 others, that is set to start today, the ICJ calls on the Greek authorities to support rather than criminally prosecute people who provide humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees. The humanitarian volunteers should be acquitted.

The use of the criminal law to punish persons courageously performing life-saving humanitarian assistance for people on the move is deplorable,” said Karolína Babická, legal adviser at the International Commission of Jurists. “There are concerns that major procedural flaws in the proceedings stand to undermine the defendants’ rights to a fair trial.“

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