On 15 January 2026, the Misdemeanours Court of Mytilene, Lesvos, delivered a verdict of acquittal in the case of Seán Binder, alongside 23 other rescue volunteers, concluding a legal process that had been in progress for more than seven years. This case had become a symbol of the manner in which European border regimes exercise control over individuals through the utilisation of legal proceedings rather than achieving a conviction. Binder, an Irish national and former volunteer with Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI), was arrested on 21 August 2018 and held in pre-trial detention for a period in excess of 100 days. From 2018 to 2026, he was confronted with a series of charges under both Greek criminal law and national security legislation. These included charges such as facilitation of irregular migration, participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and espionage. The potential penalties for these offences could have amounted to a maximum of 25 years’ imprisonment.  

The prosecution was anchored in Binder’s activities on Lesbos during 2017- 2018, including emergency response coordination, radio monitoring of distress calls, translation and cooperation with........

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