amnesty.org | 16 November 2021|
Greece: Emblematic search and rescue trial to begin
Symbolic solidarity actions in Athens on 15 November at 12 local time (at Syntagma Square) and Brussels at 11 CET on 16 November
The trial of two search and rescue volunteers, who risk 25 years in prison for helping refugees, will finally begin on 18 November in Lesvos, Greece.
Sarah Mardini, a 25-year-old Syrian refugee, and Seán Binder, a 27-year-old German national, face a series of unfair and baseless charges dating from the time they spent volunteering spotting and helping boats in distress in Lesvos. Sarah originally arrived in Lesvos as a refugee in 2015. When the engine of the boat she was on failed, Sarah and her sister saved 18 fellow passengers by dragging the sinking boat to safety.