Syrian activist Sarah Mardini acquitted of migrant trafficking

Syrian Swimmer – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – On Thursday, a Greek court acquitted Syrian swimmer and activist Sarah Mardini, whose heroic rescue of her sister inspired a popular Netflix film, along with 23 others, of migrant trafficking charges. The trial, held on the island of Lesbos, marked the end of a legal battle that had dragged on since 2018.

The defendants had faced accusations of “forming a criminal organization” and “illegally helping third-country nationals enter Greece.” However, the presiding judge, Vassilis Papathanassiou, ruled that they were not committing crimes but were instead providing humanitarian aid. “All defendants are acquitted of the charges,” he stated.

Earlier, prosecutor Dimitris Smyrnis had also called for their acquittal, noting that there was no solid evidence to prove criminal responsibility. Mardini, 30, who became a refugee in Germany in 2015, appeared in court alongside her Irish-German co-defendant Sean Binder, AFP reported.

The 2022 Netflix film “The Swimmers” is inspired by the story of Mardini and her sister Yusra, who was one of 10 athletes who competed in the Rio Olympics for a Refugee Team.

Their family made the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea in 2015, and the sisters saved other people from drowning along the way.

This is the second time Greece has brought criminal charges against the volunteers.

In 2023, they were acquitted in another case involving offences related to their humanitarian work, including “espionage”.

In 2018, Mardini was part of a group of volunteer activists with the NGO ERCI trying to help migrants reach the island of Lesbos from Turkey.

She was arrested at the time and spent three months in prison in Greece.