Greek Court Acquits Rescue Workers Accused of Smuggling Migrants

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Niki KitsantonisJanuary 16, 2026 at 03:55 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A Greek court has acquitted 24 former aid workers, including refugee Sara Mardini, of all charges related to rescuing migrants during the European refugee crisis nearly a decade ago. The defendants faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges including facilitating illegal entry and money-laundering. The trial was widely condemned by rights groups as an attempt to criminalize rescue work. The aid workers were prosecuted after helping migrants in Lesbos, Greece, which was the front line of the 2015-2016 crisis. The acquittal came amid growing restrictions on migrants and their advocates in Greece. The court's decision was seen as a "courageous ruling" that prevented a dangerous precedent from being set.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Evita Papakiriakidou 40% Zacharias Kesses ×250% Emergency Response Center International 60% Greece ×370% European refugee crisis 70% Lesbos ×380% Sara Mardini ×490%

Keywords

rescue work 80% humanitarian aid 70% migrant crisis 60% greece 50% aid workers 50% smuggling charges 40% european refugee crisis 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.40

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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rescue work humanitarian aid migrant crisis greece aid workers smuggling charges european refugee crisis

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