Overview
- The Lesbos court on Jan. 15 cleared all 24 defendants linked to the NGO ERCI who had worked on Aegean rescue efforts.
- Presiding judge Vassilis Papathanassiou said the defendants’ aim was to provide humanitarian aid rather than commit crimes.
- Prosecutor Dimitris Smyrnis had urged acquittal, citing the absence of any independent basis for criminal liability.
- The case alleged forming a criminal organization and facilitating the illegal entry of third-country nationals during rescue operations.
- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch welcomed the ruling and urged EU safeguards, as the decision ends a legal ordeal dating to 2018 and follows a separate 2023 acquittal.