DONATE FOR JUSTICE – Lifeguards Face 20 Years in Prison
A project from borderline-europe Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V. in Berlin, Germany
Search and rescue volunteers face decades in prison for helping people in distress. Saving lives is not a crime. With your support, we will protect human rights in court. Thank you for joining our fight for justice!
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About this project
Seán Binder from borderline-europe Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V. is responsible for this project
“Prosecution Seeks to Criminalize Saving Lives” - Human Rights Watch
“Not only are the [charges] based on an abusive interpretation of anti-smuggling legislation, but they are also not backed up by any evidence whatsoever” - Amnesty International
Twenty-four volunteers are facing trial in Greece, in one of the most significant cases of criminalisation of humanitarian action in Europe. If found guilty, they could spend 20 years in prison.
Nassos and Seán are among the defendants fighting for their freedom and the respect for human rights in Europe. Nassos and Seán were search rescuers on the southern Lesvos shore, one of the primary shorelines of this crisis. Despite working shoulder to shoulder with Lesvian locals, with the coast guard and police, they were arrested and spent over 100 days in prison.
The prosecution impacts the very principle of humanitarianism! The day after their arrest, search and rescue NGOs stopped proactive operations on the southern shore of Lesvos. They continue to fear being arrested for their life-saving work.
Your donation will contribute to fund a campaign in support of Nassos and Seán, whom we have supported since their initial arrest. We will use the remaining funds to support the other defendants, many of whom are also publicly campaigning for human rights, while others prefer to continue working quietly as humanitarian aid workers.
The defendants’ lawyers are very clear: “This case is emblematic of a Europe-wide problem. If unchallenged, we all stand to lose fundamental rights”. The case will set a precedent that could diminish humanitarian work across Europe. Together, we can challenge the suppression of human rights at Europe’s borders. Your donation is a message to the authorities: saving lives is not a crime; it’s not heroic, it’s just necessary.
The Free Humanitarians campaign began in August 2018 when humanitarian workers Seán Binder, Nassos Karakitsos and three others were placed in pre-trial detention for over 100 days together with convicted criminals. For their release and acquittal, former colleagues, friends and family rallied in support of what is now, five years later, a movement in solidarity to their ongoing legal proceedings, supported by representatives from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, 89 EU Members of Parliament, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, with Greek and international legal trial monitoring, and coverage in world media such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, CNN, BBC, VICE and Le Monde. The campaign speaks up against EU policies on search and rescue and humanitarian aid, advocates against the criminalisation of humanitarians, and advocates for upholding international maritime law, human rights law, and EU law obliging the saving of lives and the right to seek asylum.
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