Spanish, Danish rescuers cleared of people smuggling in Greece

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A Greek court on Monday cleared three Spanish firefighters and two Danish volunteers who had been charged with people smuggling for trying to rescue migrants arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016.

"The accusation has not been proven," the judge said after the trial in the Lesbos capital Mytilene.

The three Spaniards – Manuel Blanco, Jose Enrique Rodriguez and Julio Latorre, all from Sevilla – worked with the charity organization Proem Aid, while the two Danes – Salam Aldeen and Mohammed El Abbassi – worked for the Danish NGO Team Humanity.

All five were arrested by the Greek coastguard in January 2016, while attempting to rescue refugees seeking to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe.

October 19, 2015: An Afghan migrant jumps off an overcrowded raft onto a beach in the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece. /VCG Photo

Two Greek coastguards testified that the men had not informed the authorities of their rescue mission and were not properly equipped for it.

Human rights group Amnesty International said they risked 10 years in prison if convicted.

The Mediterranean has been a key route for migrants – many from Syria but also sub-Saharan Africa – seeking to reach Europe, but thousands have drowned in the attempt.

The International Organization for Migration estimated that some 5,100 migrants died crossing the treacherous waters in 2016.

To prevent more deaths, governments and NGOs launched a series of rescue operations. But these have come up against some opposition, with Greece or Italy growing increasingly frustrated by the numbers of refugees reaching their shores and the limited support coming from elsewhere in Europe.

Proem AID greeted Monday’s ruling on Twitter, calling it: "A great victory for humanitarian aid."

November 30, 2017: Refugees and migrants arrive on the passenger ferry Blue Star 2 from the island of Lesbos at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece. /VCG Photo

Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis added in a separate tweet: "I am very pleased," and praised the defendants’ "superb humanitarian work in the Mediterranean."

Backing also came from the local population – including fishermen from the small port of Sykaminia, one of the main landing sites for refugee boats, who were at the court to show their support.

The defendants "were only helping to save lives" while the Greek coastguard was overwhelmed, said a lawyer for the Spanish firefighters, Haris Petsikos.

Speaking to the media after the verdict, Blanco said the verdict showed that "saving lives is not a crime," and celebrated that the trial had made it possible for them to tell TV cameras that "lives are still being lost in the Mediterranean."

"Humanitarian assistance cannot and should not be criminalised," Aldeen also told AFP news agency.

(With input from agencies)

(Top picture: Spanish firefighters Manuel Blanco (L), Julio Latorre (C) and Jose Enrique Rodriguez (R) stand in front of the courthouse after being acquitted on Lesbos island, Greece, May 7, 2018. /VCG Photo)

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