Summary
A Greek court has cleared 24 rescue volunteers, including Syrian swimmer Sarah Mardini, of charges related to helping migrants and refugees. The court found that the volunteers were providing humanitarian aid and not committing crimes. Mardini and others were initially arrested in 2018 for these activities.
Key Facts
- A Greek court acquitted 24 volunteers of human trafficking charges.
- Sarah Mardini, a Syrian swimmer, was among those cleared.
- The charges were related to helping migrants and refugees in 2018.
- The court said the volunteers' actions were humanitarian, not criminal.
- Mardini had previously spent three months in prison in Greece.
- Related accusations in a previous case included "espionage," which were also dismissed in 2023.
- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch criticized the legal actions.
- Several European countries have laws that punish those helping migrants.
