Greek court drops espionage charges against 24 migrant rescuers

A Greek court has dropped espionage charges against 24 activists involved in rescuing migrants, after a lengthy trial denounced by rights groups as a sham. 

In the ruling read to the chamber on Friday, the court admitted procedural faults, including insufficient translation of prosecution documents, and a lack of access to interpreters for the defendants. 

The activists are still facing an investigation on charges of human trafficking, money laundering, fraud, and the unlawful use of radio frequencies. 

The ruling came just hours after the United Nations called for the charges to be dropped. 

The European parliament has branded the trial, which began in November 2021, "the largest case of criminalisation of solidarity in Europe". 

Among those charged is Syrian swimmer Sarah Mardini, whose family story and dramatic crossing of the Aegean Sea in 2015 inspired the Netflix film The Swimmers. 

READ MORE: Greece resumes long-delayed trial of migrant rescuers despite criticism

Some 50 humanitarian workers are currently facing prosecution in Greece, following a trend in Italy which has also criminalised the provision of aid to migrants. 

Greece's government, elected in 2019, has vowed to make the country "less attractive " to migrants. 

Part of that strategy involves extending an existing 40-kilometre (25-mile) wall on its border with Türkiye in the Evros region by 80 kilometres. 

Greece's illegal pushbacks

In addition to that, Athens has also been involved in the illegal pushback of migrants, in what the European Union calls "a violation of (migrants') fundamental rights".

While Greek authorities have consistently denied pushing back people trying to land on its shores, there have been numerous in-depth investigations by media and NGOs, showcasing evidence and abundant testimonies from alleged victims.

Earlier in October, it came to the fore through a report by the European Union's anti-fraud office that the bloc's border agency, Frontex, had been working in tandem with Greek authorities to cover up its illegal pushbacks of refugees and migrants into Turkish territorial waters. 

The report by OLAF, the European anti-fraud office, said Frontex had been withholding cases of possible human rights violations from its own fundamental rights officers, suspending aerial surveillance to avoid recording illegal activities, co-financing Greek units that carried out pushbacks and misleading the authorities responsible for overseeing the agency.

Tens of thousands of people fleeing war zones and crises seek to enter Greece, Italy and Spain in the hope of better lives in the European Union.

READ MORE: Frontex admits it acted with Greece in cruel treatment of asylum seekers