Aegean Migrant Solidarity

On the Greek islands, the politics of criminalization and deterrence of refugees is escalating: in an unprecedented move, N., a young father, is charged with the drowning of his 6-year-old son during a shipwreck. He will be on trial together with his co-passenger Hasan who is facing life imprisonment for steering the boat – a common practice at Europe's external borders. 

AMS olarak, göç ve göçmenlerin suçlu sayılmasının Yunanistan ve Avrupa Birliği'nin göçü "yönetme" yönteminin temel taşı olduğuna inanıyoruz. Mahkeme salonlarının duvarlarına bugüne kadar birçok karanlık sayfa yazıldı. Bu nedenle, yargılamalarda gözlemcilerin bulunması, usulleri karşılaştırması ve usulsüzlükleri, adaletsizlikleri ve ulusal ve uluslararası yasaların ihlallerini ortaya çıkarması önemli. Gözlemcilerin mevcudiyeti sanıklara maddi ve manevi destek sağlamakta, hakim, savcı ve polise izlendiklerini göstermekte ve sanığın adil yargılanma şansını artırmaktadır. Bu kapsamda Sakız adasındaki VIAL kampını ateşe vermekle suçlanan VIAL 15 olarak bilinen on beş gencin duruşmasında hazır bulunduk.

Ως AMS εκτιμούμε πως η ποινικοποίηση της μετανάστευσης και των μεταναστών είναι ένα καίριο ζήτημα στον τρόπο που Ελλάδα και Ε.Ε. «διαχειρίζονται» το μεταναστευτικό ζήτημα και πολλές «μαύρες σελίδες» αδικίας και συστηματικών διακρίσεων έχουν γραφτεί μέσα στους τέσσερις τοίχους των δικαστικών αιθουσών. Για το λόγο αυτό έχει ιδιαίτερη σημασία να υπάρχουν παρατηρητές στις δίκες ώστε να συγκρίνουν και να αποκαλύπτουν παρατυπίες, αδικίες, παραβίασες εγχώριων και διεθνών νομοθεσιών. Παράλληλα η παρουσία των παρατηρητών να συμβάλλει στην ανάγκη υλικής και ηθικής υποστήριξής ανθρώπων που κατηγορούνται, δείχνοντας σε δικαστές εισαγγελείς και αστυνομία ότι δεν δρουν ερήμην, αυξάνοντας τις πιθανότητες οι κατηγορούμενοι να λάβουν μια δίκαιη δίκη. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο είμασταν παρόντες τη δίκη για τον εμπρησμό της ΒΙΑΛ.

The criminalization of migration and migrants has become a cornerstone of Greek and European Union migration “management”. Many dark pages have been written on the walls of the courtrooms. Therefore, it is crucial to have observers at the trials to compare procedures and expose irregularities, injustices, and violations of domestic and international laws. The presence of observers also offers moral support and basic needs for the accused and shows judges, prosecutors and police that they are being watched, increasing the chances that the accused will receive a fair trial. In this context, AMS was present at the trial of fifteen young men, known as the VIAL 15, accused of setting fire to the VIAL camp on Chios island.

Dört Afganistan Hazarası genç, insan hayatını riske atan kundaklama, kamusal mülke zarar verme ve suç örgütü üyeliği suçlarından yargılandı. Davanın öncesinde yetmişten fazla dayanışma örgütü ve STK, adil ve şeffaf bir yargılama talep eden çağrı metnini imzaladı.

Η δίκη των 4 από τους 6 εφήβους Αφγανούς – καταγωγής Χαζαρά –  που κατηγορήθηκαν για το κάψιμο του ΚΥΤ της Μόριας τον περασμένο Σεπτέμβριο, που είναι και γνωστή η υπόθεση ως οι 6 της Μόριας, πραγματοποιήθηκε στις 11 Ιουνίου 2021 στο δικαστήριο της Χίου. Παρά το γεγονός ότι 5 από τους 6 ήταν ανήλικοι, μόνο 2 από αυτούς αναγνωρίστηκαν και δικάστηκαν στο Δικαστήριο Ανηλίκων της Μυτιλήνης.  Η υπόθεση των 2 εκδικάστηκε τον Μάρτιο του 2021 και καταδικάστηκαν σε ποινή φυλάκισης 5 ετών. 

The trial of four of the six Afghan youth—all teenagers, all of Hazara origin—accused of burning down Moria camp last September, collectively known as the Moria 6, was held on 11 June 2021 in Chios Island. Although five of the six were minors, only two of them were recognized as such and were tried in Mytilene juvenile court. The case of these two was heard in March 2021 and they were sentenced to five years imprisonment each. The remaining four were on trial for ‘arson endangering the life of an unknown number of people’, ‘destruction of public property’ and ‘membership of a criminal group’. Before the trial, more than seventy solidarity groups and non-governmental organizations signed an open call for a fair and transparent trial.

Saturday 12 June, four teenage asylum seekers were found guilty of ‘arson with risk to human life’ and sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Chios court after the fire in Lesvos’ Moria camp. Despite documents proving that three of the accused were minors at the time of arrest, they were tried as adults. Two of the six defendants had already been sentenced in March at the juvenile court in Lesvos.