What if I told you that being a lifeguard could get you put in jail?
When one of the deadliest seas in the world sits alongside one of the wealthiest continents in the world
What if I told you that being a lifeguard could get you put in jail?
You would probably look at me like I was crazy—but this is exactly what is happening, here, in Europe. This week, the Greek Supreme Court is bringing sixteen humanitarian activists to trial for using WhatsApp to coordinate rescue efforts to save refugees from drowning in the sea.
If you still don’t believe me—and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t—these are the defendents. People like Séan Binder, who is an Irish diver, who put his skills to use doing search and rescue missions to save refugees from boats that were in distress in the Mediterranean Sea and Nassos Karakitsos, a Greek lifeguard who has done the same. Now, they’re being accused of espionage for using WhatsApp to coordinate their efforts—and could face 20 years in prison.
But why would you listen to me, when you could listen to them? Today, as a special treat, I’ve included an interview that I did with Séan Binder and Madi Williamson, another humanitarian activist, where we talked about the way that humanitarian work is being criminalized across Europe and how it is making borders more dangerous for those who dare to cross them.
“I grew up in Ireland, at the shoreline, right next to the sea. I love the ocean, I spent a lot of time in it. And my higher education, concerned European defence and security policies. And as many of you will know, it is European defence and security policies that we use to deal with rather than help people who are in distress in our oceans. The Mediterranean is one of the deadliest oceans or seas in the world. And yet, it sits right alongside one of the wealthiest continents in the world. So people drowning because we've effectively let it happen. And those policies in place are happening in my name, in the name of all European citizens. And so I felt that I had some some responsibility to try and help and given my training, in maritime rescue work and on boats in general, I thought I could go and volunteer.” - Séan Binder
Want to listen to the whole thing? Put in your earphones, you’re in for a treat (and if you prefer to watch the interview, the replay is on my Instagram here).
I Want To Help - What Can I Do?
You can spread the word—either through sharing this newsletter with people (which is free, to make it as accessible to everyone as possible), or liking, sharing and saving any of the videos that I have been making in collaboration with Free Humanitarians to raise awareness around the trial on social media.
Better yet, tell your family and friends—people are far more likely to connect to a cause when they hear about it directly from someone that they know.
If you have the means, you can donate to help cover their legal fees—which are astronomical, given that one of the ways that governments love to punish activists is by putting them through these kinds of lengthy, laborious sham trials. But you can also support defendants without spending a dime; if you’re in London, you can come out to a solidarity vigil on Monday and join others in supporting the defendants. If you can’t make it, you can create artwork or show your support on social media in others ways—it means a lot to everyone involved in the trial.
Last but not least, if you want to support my own work, bringing you the latest news of borders around the world and the way that they impact our lives, please consider subscribing, or gifting a subscription of this newsletter to someone that you love.
(Also, if you liked the podcast, let me know—and I’ll do more audio interviews in the year to come…)
Until next time…
Anna