Irish humanitarian Seán Binder acquitted on all charges

The Green court has acquitted Irish humanitarian activist Seán Binder on all charges.

Binder, a Kerry-raised human rights activist, is one of 24 humanitarians who faced charges of people smuggling, belonging to a criminal organisation and money laundering, a legal battle which lasted 8 years in the Greek courts. In 2015, the 24 defendants had volunteered as a search-and-rescue team in Lesvos, Greece, 11km off the Turkish coastline, offering assistance to refugees, many of which who were fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Binder spent over 3 months in prison following his initial arrest in 2018. Prosecutors argued the volunteers facilitated illegal migration practices.

“The court reached the only decision it could today based on the limited legal basis of the charges and the flimsy evidence the prosecutor presented," said Binder. "It is a huge relief that I will not spend the next 20 years in a prison cell, but at the same time, it is troubling that this should ever have been a possibility.

In court, the defendants gave testimony on the tragic realities of their volunteering, witnessing drownings and suffocations due to overcrowded boats, sometimes bringing in over 3,000 people a day during the 2018 refugee crisis.

All 24 defendants were found not guilty of all three charges.