'Some' charges against Seán Binder set to be annulled

MEP Grace O'Sullivan said: "The prosecution has acknowledged serious flaws in the charges against the 24 defendants."

Sean Binder was arrested in 2018 while he was in Greece helping migrants who had travelled across the Mediterranean. Picture: AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas

An Irish MEP has welcomed the decision by the judge in the case against Kerry humanitarian Seán Binder to annul "some" of the charges against him and 23 others.

Mr Binder, who grew up in Kerry, is one of 24 rescue workers facing a number of charges in Greece, including misdemeanour counts of espionage-related offences, illegal access to state communications, and assisting criminal activity.

Also included in the group of aid workers is prominent Syrian human rights worker Sarah Mardini, a refugee herself and a competitive swimmer whose sister Yusra Mardini was part of the refugee swimming team at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021.

They were arrested in 2018 while they were in the country helping migrants who had travelled across the Mediterranean. They have maintained their innocence.

The case was initially set to go ahead in 2021 but was postponed over procedural issues. Mr Binder and Ms Mardini are also under investigation for felonies but no charges have yet been brought.

MEP Grace O'Sullivan said the decision was "a good move for Sean".

She said in a statement: "The prosecution has acknowledged serious flaws in the charges against the 24 defendants, which the defence has been arguing since 2018, and has recommended an annulment of the procedure.

"Key documents such as the indictments were not translated for the non-Greek defendants, while the charges of espionage have been too vague to continue the prosecution."

She added: "This means that the charges will most likely run out of time under the statute of limitations and the defendants will not be charged again."

Felony charges remain against the accused however, with a future court date not yet set. Lawyers for the Kerryman and the other defendants are continuing to argue that the other charges should be dropped too.

Ms O'Sullivan told RTÉ radio that "this was step one today."