Aid Workers Acquitted of Human Trafficking Charges in Greece

Fri Jan 16 2026 07:20:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A court in Greece has cleared a group of 24 aid workers, including notable figures Sarah Mardini and Sean Binder, of all human trafficking charges related to their humanitarian efforts in rescuing migrants.

In a landmark decision, a Greek court found 24 aid workers not guilty of human trafficking and other related charges stemming from their rescue operations on the island of Lesbos. The case, which attracted widespread condemnation from human rights groups, highlighted the complexities surrounding humanitarian actions in the context of migration.

A group of aid workers who were put on trial in Greece for rescuing migrants on the island of Lesbos have been acquitted of all charges.

The 24 former volunteers were arrested seven years ago - accused of human trafficking and other offences - and could have faced up to 20 years in jail.

They had worked for an NGO that rescued asylum-seekers at risk of drowning between 2015 to 2018, when hundreds of thousands of migrants crossed the narrow straits from Turkey to Greece.

Their case was widely criticised by aid agencies and human rights campaigners as an attempt to criminalise humanitarian aid and was seen as having profound implications for migration policy across Europe.

The defendants, who worked for the Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI), included the former Syrian migrant and competitive swimmer Sarah Mardini. She famously returned to Lesbos to rescue other refugees, a story that inspired the Netflix drama, The Swimmers.

They were arrested in 2018 and cleared of some accusations, including espionage, in 2023. However, their trial on remaining charges began only last month.

Judge Vassilis Papathanassiou stated that the defendants were acquitted because their aim was not to commit criminal acts but to provide humanitarian aid. Prosecutor Dimitris Smyrnis had also recommended their acquittal, reinforcing that no independent basis establishing the criminal liability of the defendants has been demonstrated.\p>

During the trial, evidence was presented regarding the defendants' use of WhatsApp to communicate about the status of boats carrying migrants. While a police officer indicated no information was shared with Greek authorities, a coast guard officer testified to their cooperation.

The judge highlighted that waiting to rescue a human life cannot be considered facilitation of illegal entry, affirming the legitimacy of their actions.

Zacharias Kesses, the lawyer for Mardini and Binder, expressed his astonishment at the lengthy duration it took for the prosecution to recognize the baselessness of the accusations.

Sean Binder noted mixed feelings of relief and anger upon the verdict, reflecting on the personal toll the allegations had on his life and professional aspirations.

Amnesty International's Eve Geddie commented on the ruling, hoping it serves as a strong message for compassion and solidarity in humanitarian efforts, which should not be criminalized.