Irish humanitarian could still face criminal charges in Greece even after his acquittal

Having been acquitted of misdemeanor charges of espionage and assisting a criminal organisation in Lesbos, Greece in 2023, a Kerryman could still face potential criminal charges, including facilitating illegal immigration and money laundering.

Seán Binder, a German-born humanitarian worker who grew up in Castlegregory, Co Kerry, travelled to the island of Lesbos in late 2017 to volunteer with the Emergency Response Centre, a Greek search-and-rescue NGO. Here, having been trained in search and rescue, he was a lifeguard.

The island of Lesbos gained prominence during the 2015 immigration crisis, witnessing the arrival of nearly a million people escaping war or poverty. As a result, the area became a focal point for Greek and foreign aid workers who set up operations to address the humanitarian challenges posed by the crisis.

This Tuesday, a Greek court acquitted 16 other humanitarians who had been facing the misdemeanor charges related to their efforts in rescuing migrants.

The trial, involving accusations of espionage, due their use of WhatsApp, among other charges, drew international attention.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, criticized Greece, alleging that the defendants were targeted for their humanitarian activities.

Seán was first arrested in 2018, along with Syrian national Sara Mardini, a former refugee, whose story is depicted in Netflix's 2022 film, The Swimmers. The pair spent more than 100 days in pre-trial detention before being released later that year.

According to Free Humanitarians, their trials scheduled to go ahead in November 2022 and January 2023 were dismissed due to "multiple procedural errors and lack of jurisdiction."

These "procedural errors" included "missing translations, as well as incomplete, miscommunicated and inaccurate indictments."

However it is said that in April 2023, the prosecution appealed the decision to the Greek Supreme Court, and 16 of the aid workers who could speak Greek, and did not need a translation, along with those who did not attend court or have legal representation in court, were brought back to trial.

This includes one man, Nassos Karakitsos, who has not been allowed to leave Greece since the events began.

Even thought they were acquitted of misdemeanour charges a year ago, Sean, Sara and the other 16 humanitarians could all still face other potential criminal charges, including facilitating illegal immigration and money laundering.

One of the defense lawyers, Haris Petsikos, told The Associated Press that he was confident all would be acquitted of any remaining charges, if they reach the court.

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