The prosecution of Seán Binder clearly reveals injustice-punishing lawful rescue work that aligns with international maritime and human rights law. Seán Binder is a law graduate and human rights activist who volunteered in Lesbos as a rescue diver. Seán and his team provided first aid and immediate support to refugees in distress, offering life-saving assistance to people fleeing war, persecution, and hardship with no other way to reach safety. For this humanitarian work, in 2018, Seán and 23 other aid workers faced criminal charges in Greece. Seán spent 106 days in pre-trial detention, and his case is still ongoing. The trial will take place at Mitilíni Courthouse on 4 December 2025. He could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Seán Binder’s background, having been raised by the sea in Ireland and trained as a scuba diver, gave him the skills to volunteer as a search and rescue member. After his master’s degree, he joined a Greek search-and-rescue NGO, the Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI). His role was coordinated with Greek authorities, following official procedures. He cooperated with the Coast Guard, coordinating rescue operations with officers and communicating information about ERCI rescue crews.

In 2025, 9% of new arrivals in Greece were received on Lesbos Island.[1] As of May 2025, the population of Lesbos Island’s camp reached 1,614 individuals.[2] Various organizations work in Lesbos to provide food and protection for those in need.

According to the latest statistics released by PICUM (2024), at least 91 people were prosecuted in the EU for crossing borders irregularly in the Mediterranean in 2024.[3] In the same year, 2,200 people died or went missing while attempting to reach Europe. [4]As these numbers are a direct result of a lack of safe routes, the work of humanitarian workers is increasingly criminalized. In 2024 alone, 142 individuals faced criminal or administrative proceedings in the EU for acts of solidarity, 88 of whom were search and rescue members. Alarmingly, this criminalization can extend to anyone showing compassion, even when acting in accordance with international and European law.

The criminalization of solidarity in Europe diminishes “European values” in practice. As Seán has stated, “We are told borders must be defended to ‘protect values’, but abandoning people to drown means those values are already lost. The act of ‘preserving’ them erodes them with deadly consequences.”

Seán was deeply moved upon receiving a solidarity email from Pastor Norbert Valley, a compassionate evangelical minister from Le Locle, a small town in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains. Valley faced prosecution under Article 116 of Switzerland’s Foreign Nationals and Integration Act for an act of simple humanity: allowing a rejected asylum seeker from Togo, who had attended his church services, to sleep in the church’s shelter during harsh winter storms. He was eventually acquitted. [5]When something so plainly kind is criminalized, society is in grave trouble.

The transnational nature of “criminalizing solidarity” was also illustrated by Captain Carola Rackete in 2019. As captain of the NGO vessel Sea-Watch 3, Rackete rescued 53 migrants off the coast of Libya. She faced prosecution under Article 12(1) and (3)(A) of Decree-Law No 268/1998 (aiding and abetting illegal immigration) and Article 1099 of the Navigation Act (failure to comply with the order not to enter Italian territorial waters issued under Legislative Decree No 53/2019 by the master of the warship used as a police vessel of the Guardia di Finanza). This legal action was invalidated by an Italian court in 2021, which dismissed all charges and affirmed that her decision to dock was a required duty under international law to save lives.[6]

In Lesbos, Seán and 23 others are facing trial on serious felonies: smuggling, membership in a criminal organization, and money laundering. If convicted, they face up to 20 years and immediate custody. For smuggling, Seán faces several counts, many from before he even started his humanitarian work in Greece; in fact, he had not been to Greece. This poses significant problems: Seán cannot face charges for acts that are not his. Without that nexus, those charges must be dismissed.

The judicial process has been marred by serious errors, including the failure to translate the initial indictment into a language the defendants could understand, despite their rights under Greek law and international standards like Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. A missing page and the use of numbers instead of names in the indictment further obscured the charges. Worse, inadequate or absent interpreters during court proceedings left non-Greek-speaking defendants, including Seán Binder, unable to engage fully, a breach of fair trial guarantees, which the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, has explicitly categorized as a form of judicial harassment against human rights defenders.[7]

Leading legal experts have condemned the prosecution’s case. Edward Fitzgerald KC of Doughty Street Chambers and Gráinne Mellon of Garden Court Chambers’ International Human Rights Team, commissioned by the law firm Leigh Day to provide a formal legal opinion, have stated unequivocally that “there is no evidential basis for the charges against Seán Binder and his co-defendants. The accusations of smuggling and criminal organization membership are not merely unsupported by evidence, but are contradicted by the facts of their coordinated, life-saving work. To proceed on this basis would constitute a serious miscarriage of justice.”[8]

Burak Batuhan Karakus, Head of Legal Affairs at Human Rights Solidarity, has issued a compelling statement:

“The prosecution of Seán Binder is not a procedural oversight; it is a calculated violation of justice, engineered to undermine the core principles of international human rights law. This legal harassment broadcasts a chilling message across Europe: compassion is now a punishable act. We must never forget Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian whose lifeless body on a Turkish beach in 2015 exposed the lethal cost of the lack of safe, legal pathways. [9]His death condemns failed policies. Yet, to criminalize those who work tirelessly to avert such tragedies, who race to ensure no more children like Alan perish, is a profound betrayal.”

This practice abandons our shared humanity, penalizing the obligation to preserve life and sacrificing lives to the merciless altar of border politics.

To the Greek authorities, we appeal with respect for the formidable challenges you navigate: this prosecution contradicts Greece’s noble legacy of solidarity. You, the compassionate people of Greece, have opened your hearts and communities for years, sheltering tens of thousands. You understand the human toll of this crisis intimately. We urge you to realign this judicial process with that ethos of humanity and the clear protections for humanitarian aid under the EU Facilitation Directive 2002/90/EC[10]. Drop these charges and uphold the right to save lives.

International organizations have described this as the criminalization of humanitarian acts; the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for all charges to be dropped.

As Human Rights Solidarity, we urge everyone to follow closely, stand in solidarity, and monitor the trial of Seán Binder and 23 other humanitarian volunteers on 4 December in Lesbos at Mitilíni Courthouse and to call on the authorities to uphold European laws fairly, based on a fair and factual basis.

With hope for justice.

BY BURAK BATUHAN KARAKUS

References:

[1] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). (2025, October 9). Greece Sea Arrivals Dashboard: August 2025. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/europe-sea-arrivals/location/24489.

[2] EuropeCares. (2025, May 15). Monthly Report: Paréa Lesvos – April 2025. https://www.europecares.org/post/monthly-report-par%C3%A9a-lesvos-april-2025.

[3] PICUM. (2025, April). Criminalisation of Migration and Solidarity in the EU: 2024 Report. https://picum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Criminalisation-of-migration-and-solidarity-in-the-EU-2024-report.pdf.

[4] International Organization for Migration (IOM). (2025, January). Missing Migrants Project: Mediterranean Region Data Snapshot (2024). https://missingmigrants.iom.int/region/mediterranean.

[5] Evangelical Focus. (2020, March 12). Swiss pastor who helped rejected asylum seeker acquitted. https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/5176/swiss-pastor-who-helped-rejected-asylum-seeker-acquitted.

[6] DW. (2021, December 23). Italy Drops Carola Rackete Charges. https://www.dw.com/en/italy-drops-charges-against-sea-watch-captain-carola-rackete/a-60245299.

[7] United Nations Human Rights Council. (2020, January 9). Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders: Judicial Harassment (A/HRC/43/51). https://undocs.org/A/HRC/43/51.

[8] Leigh Day. (2021, November 15). Legal Opinion on the Case of Seán Binder. https://www.leighday.co.uk/latest-updates/news/2021-news/greek-authorities-urged-to-review-the-criminal-case-against-search-and-rescue-volunteer/.

[9] Smith, H. (2015, September 3). Shocking images of drowned Syrian boy show tragic plight of refugees. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/shocking-image-of-drowned-syrian-boy-shows-tragic-plight-of-refugees

[10] Council Directive 2002/90/EC of 28 November 2002 defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence, Official Journal L 328. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32002L0090

On June 25, around 4,500 gathered in Strasbourg demanding justice in Turkey, near the Council of Europe and ECtHR buildings. The fourth edition of the Strasbourg Justice Gathering took place on June 25 in front of the Council of Europe, continuing its mission to spotlight human rights violations in Türkiye. Organized by the Europe-based Peaceful Actions Platform, with Human Rights Solidarity as a co-organizer, this year’s event centered on the theme “Justice for All.” Around 4,500 Turkish expatriates gathered along Allée de la Robertsau, a 900-meter stretch near the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) buildings.

The demonstration began at 11:30 AM Central European Time with a march and chants, drawing participation from six members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Among the notable speakers were French MPs Emmanuel Fernandes and Sandra Regol, Spanish MP Laura Castel, Belgian MPs Benjamin Dalle and Christophe Lacroix, and German MP Vinzenz Glaser.

In their speeches, the parliamentarians highlighted systemic injustices in Türkiye, including the tragic death of 15-year-old Sümeyra Gelir—who succumbed to illness three months after being forced to care for her siblings following her mother’s arrest—and the ongoing imprisonment of opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

French MP Sandra Regol underscored the erosion of the rule of law in Türkiye since 2016, stating: “Innocent people are jailed on baseless terrorism charges. Prisons are overflowing 130 new facilities have been built in just a few years. Trials rely on prejudice, not evidence. The repression extends beyond Türkiye’s borders, with abductions abroad continuing unabated. Among Council of Europe members, Türkiye leads in prison overcrowding.”

Participants, including victims of post-coup decree (KHK) dismissals, renewed their call for the Council of Europe to enforce the Yalçınkaya ruling. They urged immediate compliance with ECtHR judgments in the cases of Yalçınkaya, Kavala, and Demirtaş, demanding an end to unlawful detentions that persist despite the court’s rulings.

Human rights activists protested in Strasbourg, wearing yellow T-shirts and holding banners, to denounce ongoing rights violations in Türkiye. The demonstration, near the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), drew around 4,500 people chanting slogans like “Justice for All” and “Children Do Not Belong in Prison.” Representatives from rights groups, including Human Rights Solidarity (HRS), submitted letters to ECtHR and Council of Europe officials, signed by 16 European associations, condemning Türkiye’s worsening rights record since 2016—including political imprisonments, press suppression, and unfair trials.

Protesters criticized Türkiye’s stalled legal system, urging the ECtHR to bypass exhausted domestic remedies and fast-track cases. They also slammed inadequate compensation in some rulings. The rally highlighted specific cases, like 15-year-old Sümeyra Gelir, who died after her mother’s arrest, and jailed opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, calling for international accountability.

Letter to Secretary-General Alain Berset

The letter addressed to Secretary-General Alain Berset demanded public recognition of Türkiye’s failure to comply with rulings from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), particularly in the Yalçınkaya case, and called for the initiation of Article 46(4) violation proceedings. It also urged the Council of Europe to engage with oppressed communities and civil society actors—both within Türkiye and in the diaspora—as legitimate stakeholders in dialogue and reform efforts. Additionally, the letter emphasized the need for coordinated action among member states to uphold democratic values and the integrity of the ECtHR.

Ride for Rights

Under the banner Ride for Rights, Human Rights Solidarity (HRS) mobilized cyclists from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and France to raise global awareness about the ongoing oppression and unlawful practices in Türkiye through a unique and impactful advocacy initiative.

Last year, a dedicated team of five to six cyclists rode an impressive 900 kilometers, starting in the UK and passing through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France before joining the march in Strasbourg on October 2. This year, the campaign evolved into a relay-style event, with volunteer teams cycling in their respective countries to contribute to the cause. We extend our deepest gratitude to every cyclist who participated in this powerful display of solidarity.

Justice Wall

Alongside the demonstrations, HRS installed a massive Justice Wall measuring 20 meters long and 2.5 meters high next to the main stage. Over the course of a week, artists painted striking illustrations highlighting human rights violations in Türkiye on the upper section. These included portraits of prominent political prisoners like Osman Kavala, Selahattin Demirtaş, and Ekrem İmamoğlu; a tribute to 15-year-old Sümeyra Gelir, who tragically died from an epileptic seizure on April 3, 2025, after her mother, Melek Gelir, was imprisoned; crackdowns on Boğaziçi University students; suppression of journalists; the struggles of families affected by KHK decrees; and the forced replacement of elected officials in Kurdish and CHP-run municipalities with government-appointed trustees.

The lower section of the wall was reserved for participants, who left heartfelt messages and signatures in support of human rights, justice, democracy, and peace—transforming the installation into a powerful collective statement against injustice.

Today marks the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark document created in 1948 to protect the dignity and equality of all people. Born from the horrors of World War II, it was a commitment to prevent such tragedies and affirm the non-negotiable rights of every individual.

Yet, 76 years later, the gap between these ideals and reality remains vast. Wars continue, torture persists, and the rights of women, children, minorities, and refugees are still violated daily. Even in Western countries, which led the declaration, human rights violations endure, and globally, the situation in many nations is even more dire.

One year after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which resulted in over 44,000 deaths and widespread destruction in Gaza, the conflict’s impacts endure.

For 76 years, Palestinians have faced apartheid and crimes against humanity by Israel, enduring systematic discrimination. Decades of oppression and displacement have stripped Palestinians of their rights and marginalized their culture, in violation of international law.

A year of continuous violence in Gaza and Israel, without a meaningful ceasefire, has intensified the suffering of millions. Meanwhile, accountability for these atrocities remains virtually nonexistent.

United Kingdom and Europe

• In 2024, strict border policies targeting migrants and refugees persisted across the United Kingdom and Europe, resulting in 315 lives lost in the English Channel alone.
• Across Europe, reports of pushbacks and mistreatment of refugees remain widespread.
• Violations of digital freedom of expression are rising, with thousands of individuals’ privacy compromised by data security breaches.

United States

• Police violence with racial undertones continues, echoing tragic incidents like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, while Black and Latino individuals remain disproportionately incarcerated.
• Children are still forcibly separated from their families at the border, with migrants held in harsh detention conditions.

Turkey

• Over the past eight years, approximately 2 million people in Turkey have faced terrorism investigations based on unfounded accusations, with hundreds of thousands imprisoned.
• As of 2023, Turkey remains one of the highest violators in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), with over 4,000 convictions.
• Despite this, Turkey continues to disregard ECHR rulings, with 65 journalists imprisoned and hundreds of human rights defenders facing legal pressure.
• More than 300 women are killed annually in gender-based violence cases.

China

• UN data reveals that over 1.8 million Uyghur Turks are detained in “re-education camps” in East Turkestan.
• The systematic suppression of religious freedoms and cultural heritage continues in Tibet.
• In 2024, over 40 multinational companies faced criticism for involvement in forced labor practices in China.

Russia

• Over 20,000 people were detained for participating in anti-war protests.
• 80% of independent media outlets were either shut down or labeled as “foreign agents.”
• Conditions for LGBTQ+ individuals have worsened, with over 500 people prosecuted under “propaganda laws.” 

India

• In 2023, over 200 religion-based hate crimes were reported, revealing widespread discrimination against minority groups.
• Women face an average of 87 sexual assault cases daily.
• Muslim communities endure systematic threats, including displacement and loss of citizenship rights.

Iran

• The women’s rights movement gained momentum after the death of Mahsa Amini, yet over 800 female protesters were detained in 2024.
• More than 600 lives were lost during protests.
• Women continue to endure severe consequences for demanding basic rights and freedoms.

Afghanistan

• Under Taliban rule, women’s rights to education have been fully stripped away, leaving over 1 million women without access to university education in 2024.
• 80% of journalists have either been forced to leave their profession or flee the country.

Myanmar

• The systematic ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims continues. According to the UN, 1 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh live in dire, inhumane conditions.

Syria and Yemen

• In Syria, the ongoing civil war has displaced nearly 14 million people.
• In Yemen, 2.2 million children face the risk of death from hunger and malnutrition.

Today, humanity faces one of its most critical tests in the ongoing struggle for rights. Human rights are not a distant dream but an urgent and unshakable responsibility that demands our attention now. The fundamental dignity of millions hangs in the balance, and we must not wait for a global catastrophe to rediscover our shared humanity.

We are not naive optimists. We are determined individuals, strategically and resolutely committed to defending human dignity. Rights are not privileges granted from above; they are shared values earned and protected through continuous struggle. As Martin Luther King Jr. so powerfully reminded us, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

We came together for the second time in Strasbourg to reiterate our call for justice against rights violations in Turkey. Nearly 3 thousand people who have been subjected to rights violations in Turkey met in Strasburg, France, where the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe are located, and demanded urgent justice.

The second ‘Strasbourg Justice Meeting’ and ‘justice march’, the first of which was organised last year, was held today. The march protested against the silence of European political structures and legal institutions in the face of rights violation applications from Turkey.

Organised by a number of European human rights organisations including Human Rights Solidarity, the demonstration included a concert and various theatrical performances. Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party in the UK, also made a speech on the stage, supporting the protesters and criticising the ECHR for delaying its decisions. Famous NBA player and activist Enes Kanter and Norwegian theologian Dag Aakre took the stage and expressed their demands for justice.

Approximately 3 thousand people who left Turkey due to severe human rights violations they suffered in Turkey for about 10 years gathered on All de la Robertsau Street, where the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Council of Europe are located. Wearing yellow t-shirts and carrying yellow balloons and banners, the crowd expressed their demands for justice in front of the Council of Europe and the ECHR buildings after 12.00 pm. “Justice delayed is not justice! Victims are here, where is the court?” they chanted. Since no one from the Council of Europe greeted them, the victims left a letter with their demands at the door. The group then continued their march and stopped in front of the ECHR to present their letters to the officials of the institution.

LETTER TO THREE IMPORTANT EUROPEAN NAMES

Yasemin Aydın and Rumi Unal, representatives of the Peacefull Actions Platform, which represents hundreds of thousands of people whose rights have been violated, presented a letter addressed to three names holding important positions in European institutions. During the presentation of the letter, a theatrical performance was staged criticising the ECHR for issuing its judgements too late. A prison cell on wheels representing people who have been imprisoned for years also took place during the march.

The letter read as follows:

“Inhumane practices against all opposition groups in the country continue unabated. These widespread and systematic violations have been characterised as ‘crimes against humanity’ by the relevant UN bodies. Once again, no progress has been made on the more than three thousand educational institutions, thousands of legal associations and at least $32 billion in private assets confiscated after 15 July. Tens of thousands of women, the elderly, the sick and hundreds of babies under the age of six are still being held in prisons for political reasons. Dozens of people continue to be arrested on hollow charges on an almost daily basis. The hope of thousands of people systematically subjected to gross human rights violations is that the Council of Europe and the ECtHR, which have the authority to take binding decisions on Turkey, will enforce the law. It is essential that these institutions take their legal position on these acts of crimes against humanity without further delay and fulfil their obligations immediately. We are grateful for some of the judgements of the ECtHR during this time, which have been a breath of fresh air for the victims of political repression. However, we expect the Court, as soon as possible, to stop ignoring the fact that more than half a million people are being persecuted simply for exercising their fundamental rights, such as subscribing to a newspaper, having a bank account or sending their children to legally operating schools, joining a religious chat group or using a mobile communication app.”

INJUSTICES HIGHLIGHTED

As in the previous year, this year, as well as foreign guests, people who have been subjected to rights violations in Turkey and their families made speeches at the Justice Gathering. Melek Cetinkaya, mother of Taha Furkan Cetinkaya, a military student who was released after 6 years in prison, lawyer Elif Buyukozturk, teacher Halit Tonbul, teacher Gonca Kara who lost her two children Gulsum and Mustafa in the Aegean Sea, academic Salih Hosoglu, Nesrin Kisi, wife of torture victim Zabit Kisi, were among the speakers.

DATE: 10 December 2021

PLACE: Opposite of Number 10, Downing Street

COMMITTEE: Executive Committee

We celebrate our rights on the 10th of December every year on the occasion of the UN Human Rights Day. We demand justice for those who cannot speak up for themselves and whose voices are not heard. To make sure our voices are heard, we showed up opposite Downing Street with an 8m long banner wall and asked people to write their views on justice and current human rights violations around the world. We’ve seen people demanding justice for Uyghurs, Latin Americans, Palestine, Kurds, Turks, Libyans, Afghanis, Belarusian, women and transgenders. This project showed us the importance of true solidarity for human rights. We supported our Justice Wall with Instagram broadcasts at different times throughout the day.

Here are a volunteer’s words on their experience at the Justice Wall:

“ It was phenomenal, and one of my first interactive events (other than protests). I feel like us being in the frontier and socially interacting people in public and getting to see their reactions live was energetic and hyping!! It let us remember what we are doing, and what we can do. I truly believe it was a huge motivator as well as an amazing and inclusive project.”

And here is the speech HRS volunteer Asiye Betul made during the protest:

Dear friends,

Before we get started, I would like to celebrate our rights. Mine, yours and all of ours! Happy day human rights day to us!

We have united here today to observe and  celebrate the day of our rights, the day of  the rights that make us who we are and the rights that should be available for all of us. While doing so, we demand justice for those whose rights are being violated, those whose voices are being silenced. We remind you that we will not forget the rights that some have forgotten.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, and has been celebrated every year since then.

But Dear friends,

How much have these rights been applied since then? Why can’t all humans reach those rights?

Isn’t it strange that some rights are still being violated while we’re sat here celebrating them? Isn’t it strange that there’s a genocide happening in front of our eyes in China? Isn’t it strange that we’re building walls, putting out immigration bills? That there are journalists arrested in Brazil and Turkey? Isn’t it so strange that our rights are still being violated, in this very day?!

As we stand here with our wall of Justice, we will ask for the long awaited justice! We will not only ask for ours, but everyone’s rights! And we will let this wall be proof, of all those whose rights are denied and forgotten.

Because rights are only human, when they apply to all of us.

Because we are only human, when we fight for rights.

Dear Friends!

Happy Human rights day!

Let us celebrate our rights! Let us fight for our rights!