Greece: After a lengthy trial criticized by human rights groups and international organisations, a Greek court on Friday dismissed espionage charges against 24 activists involved in rescuing migrants.

A top European human rights official has described Greece as a "hostile environment" for human rights activists trying to assist migrants, the backdrop against which the dramatic development of the case is taking place.

A procedural error, such as insufficient translation of prosecution documents, was acknowledged by the court in the judgment which was read in chambers. They also acknowledged that the defendants, many of whom are foreign nationals, did not have adequate access to interpreters.

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Activists are still under investigation for allegations of human trafficking, money laundering, fraud and unauthorized use of radio frequencies; Two of them have already served time in jail.

Lawyers for the activists said the investigation was still on. Sean Binder, an activist who was detained without charge for more than three months after his arrest in 2018, said he preferred to hear the case after the decision was made.

This is not justice, Binder declared. "Four years ago, if there had been a trial, we would have been found innocent." He told reporters outside the courthouse that the charges were dismissed not because he was found "not guilty", but because of a procedural error.

The decision came hours after a UN rights official demanded the charges be dropped. According to Elizabeth Throssell, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, "Such tests are deeply worrying because they criminalize life-saving work and set a dangerous precedent."

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The trial, which was due to get underway in November 2021, has been dubbed "the largest case of criminalization of solidarity in Europe" by the European Parliament.

Sarah Mardini, a Syrian swimmer and member of the Olympic refugee team, was one of those accused. Swimmers, a Netflix original film, was inspired by the story of his family and their dangerous crossing of the Aegean Sea in 2015.

In Greece, 50 aid workers are currently being investigated for crimes. Athens is following an Italian trend that has made helping migrants illegal.

The "hostile environment" in Greece where journalists and human rights activists must work has been a concern for several years, according to Dunja Mijatovic, Europe's commissioner for human rights.

In a statement, it claimed that "slanderous campaigns against people defending human rights, NGO registration procedures and undue pressure on journalists have undermined human rights protections and reduced civil space in the country." "

Panayot Dimitros, the Greek spokesman for the Helsinki Monitor rights group, was accused of trafficking last month, according to Mijatovic.

Dimitras is accused of participating in a criminal enterprise that facilitated the unauthorized entry of asylum seekers into Greece, along with the founder of the Norwegian human rights organization Aegean Boat Report.

The targeting of human rights advocates and people participating in acts of solidarity is inconsistent with the state's international obligations and discourages the promotion of human rights, according to Mijatović. She continued, "I beg the Greek authorities to guarantee safety and freedom of work for journalists and human rights activists."

Greece's conservative government, which was elected in 2019, has promised to reduce the country's "attractiveness" for immigrants. The plan includes the construction of an additional 80 kilometers (40 mi) of wall along the Turkish border in the Evros region.

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Thousands of people fleeing Africa and the Middle East try to enter Greece, Italy and Spain, seeking a better life in the European Union.

The Greek government has consistently denied turning away people trying to land on its shores, despite extensive investigations by the media and NGOs using testimonies from alleged victims.