Trial of Kerry humanitarian Seán Binder to continue on Friday

Sean Binder. Picture: AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas

The trial against Irishman Seán Binder in Greece got underway today and will resume on Friday.

Mr Binder is one of 24 rescue workers facing a number of charges, 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.

The sisters’ story was made into a Netflix movie.

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

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.

Speaking outside the court today, Mr Binder said he hopes that on Friday the court will rule in favour of democratic values and basic principles.

He criticised the Greek authorities for their handling of the matter.

"The prosecution has made mistake after mistake. 

They have violated our human rights, they have made procedural errors. They have done everything possible so that this trial cannot happen.

"All we are asking for, all our lawyers have demanded is that the rule of law is respected, that Greek laws are respected.

"We want the rule of law and now we will find out on Friday whether we get the rule of law or the rule of flaw."

He said they had spent the morning advocating for a need for the respect of the rule of law.

“We’ve been allowed to make our claim and submit how the prosecution has made errors. Now, the judge has to assess them. And I don’t see how they could disagree with our views."

He said that the prosecution’s accusation of spying does not correspond to the legal accusation of spying in the Greek legal code.

Mr Binder’s legal team also outlined other alleged errors made by the prosecution in court, including how the Kerry humanitarian and 24 other humanitarian aid workers received indictments in a language they did not understand.

It was also outlined how indictments did not name some of the defendants but only numbered them so they could not know how to defend themselves.

Some indictments also had a missing page.

“I don’t think if we continued with the indictment and with the logic that the prosecution has presented so far we would have a fair trial,” Mr Binder said.

I am hopeful. And I’m glad that at least it’s moving forward.”

Green Party MEP for Ireland South, Grace O'Sullivan, attended the court in Greece today and described the scenes as chaotic.

Ms O'Sullivan said there were around 120 people in the courtroom as the judge listened to the objections from lawyers for the accused and advised that he would deliberate on Friday.

“Seán has already spent 100 days in prison. His life has been on hold. You can see the huge personal toll. It’s hugely traumatic for these humanitarian aid workers,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

“Seán has huge integrity, he has very strong moral values, that’s why he came to Lesbos in the first place - to do the right thing, to try to help people in distress at sea.” 

A campaign led by Ms O'Sullivan in support of the defendants has collected the signatures of 89 MEPs from all political backgrounds ahead of the trial.

The humanitarian aid worker from Kerry decided to travel to Greece in 2018 as he was moved by the images of refugees caught in the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean and felt as though he could help.

Having completed a Masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics and has a background as a rescue diver, Sean said he decided to travel to Greece because he felt he had a policy understanding and the relevant skills to be of assistance.

Sean Binder has maintained that he has no regrets about his decision or the time he spent working with Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) in 2018. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD 

Mr Binder has maintained that he has no regrets about his decision or the time he spent working with Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) in 2018.

Despite working closely with authorities in Lesbos, things took a turn around four months after he arrived.

Mr Binder and one of his colleagues were arrested and spent two nights in jail before being released. They were arrested again and formally charged.

Due to the serious nature of the charges, Mr Binder said they were housed in a centre alongside violent criminals including some convicted of murder.

He received bail in Greece in December 2018 and returned home to Ireland to await trial. The case was last adjourned in November 2021.

Amnesty International and other organisations have criticised the Greek authorities for using the “farcical” and “baseless” charges to make an example of humanitarian workers.

“Sarah and Sean did what any of us should do if we were in their position. Helping people at risk of drowning in one of the deadliest sea routes in Europe and assisting them on the shoreline is not a crime,” Nils Muiznieks, director of Amnesty’s European Regional Office, said in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.

“This trial reveals how the Greek authorities will go to extreme lengths to deter humanitarian assistance and discourage migrants and refugees from seeking safety on the country’s shores, something which we see in a number of European countries,” he said. 

“It is farcical that this trial is even taking place.”

Additional reporting by PA