Greek Human Rights Activists Face Criminal Charges Over Their Documentation Work
Greek prosecutors are pursuing criminal charges against human rights defenders Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen for their work documenting illegal pushbacks.
Greek human rights activists Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen face criminal prosecution for documenting illegal pushbacks and assisting asylum seekers under broad anti-smuggling laws. They are charged alongside two Cameroonian asylum seekers with forming or joining a criminal organization to facilitate the entry and stay of third-country nationals into Greece. The charges stem directly from their peaceful work of notifying authorities of new arrivals to ensure access to asylum procedures and prevent violent, illegal pushbacks. Greek anti-smuggling legislation is considered broad and vague, lacking protections for human rights defenders.
Potential Consequences
If convicted, Dimitras and Olsen face up to 20 years in prison. The Greek government passed a migration law in February 2023 that makes membership in a nongovernmental organization an aggravating circumstance in migration-related criminal offenses. This law can elevate humanitarian acts to felonies carrying draconian penalties.
| Potential Outcome | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum Prison Sentence | Up to 20 years |
| Aggravating Law | February 2023 migration law on NGO membership |
International Response and Precedents
United Nations special rapporteur Mary Lawlor stated in 2023 that human rights workers in Greece face smear campaigns, threats, and misuse of criminal law. She said the criminal investigation against Dimitras and Olsen strongly appears to be arbitrary. Human Rights Watch senior Europe researcher Eva Cossé called the trial a blatant attempt to criminalize and silence legitimate human rights work and demanded the case be dropped. A precedent exists: in January 2023, a Greek court on Lesbos acquitted 24 humanitarian workers of similar charges after a seven-year legal ordeal. Dimitras and Olsen had supported people seeking asylum on the island of Kos in July 2021.
Defendants' Situation
Panayote Dimitras, the founder and president of Greek Helsinki Monitor, lives in Greece under restrictive pretrial measures. These include a ban on leaving the country, a duty to report regularly to police, and a bail payment of €10,000. Tommy Olsen, a Norwegian national and founder of Aegean Boat Report, lives in Norway. He faces arrest warrants from Greece, including a European Arrest Warrant. Olsen was arrested in Norway on March 16, 2026, but released by a district court four days later. On May 15, 2026, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal ruled against his extradition. The court found that the dual-criminality requirement was not met, as assisting someone to initiate an asylum procedure is lawful in Norway. It also stated extradition would risk violating Olsen's right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights.
This prosecution reflects a wider, well-documented pattern of Greek authorities misusing law to harass activists defending migrant rights. The trial of both defenders is scheduled to commence on October 6, 2026, before the Rhodes Three-Member Court of Appeal of the Dodecanese for Felonies.
