Please hold KS* in the light, accused of human smuggling for seeking safety in Europe.
In the latest case of unjust prosecution of those seeking asylum in Greek courts, KS will stand trial before a jury at Mytilene Court in Lesvos, accused of endangering human lives and facilitating illegal entry. He has been falsely accused of steering the boat that took him and his fellow travellers from Turkey to Greece. KS had previously been tortured and jailed in Turkey. His arrival on Chios island on 2 March 2020 corresponded with the patriot games of Greece and Turkey when Turkish President Erdogan opened up the borders and pushed thousands of migrants into Greece in an act of political blackmail against the European Union. Since the day he arrived, Greek authorities have detained KS in Korydalos prison, where Covid-19 restrictions have prevented his wife and three children from visiting him. The first time he will see them again in over a year will be the day he stands trial.
We have seen time and again that migrants are arbitrarily accused of the crime of smuggling simply because the Greek state must find somebody to prosecute. We have seen people sentenced to hundreds of years in jail, and fined hundreds of thousands of euros, in trials that fall short of the most basic standards of fairness. CPT will stand in solidarity with KS and his family on Wednesday, 21 April. We ask you to keep them in your thoughts.
*Name withheld for security reasons
