Seán Binder, the humanitarian charged in Greece with offences arising out of his search and rescue volunteer work with refugees, has now been acquitted of all criminal charges against him in a court in Lesbos.
Seán Binder’s acquittal follows a recommendation of the prosecutor on 15 January 2026, following a hugely delayed trial that there was no evidence on which to convict.
This brings to an end ongoing criminal proceedings against Seán and his 23 co-Defendants, all of whom worked for the Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) in Lesbos. Proceedings have been ongoing for over seven years.
Seán Binder was held in pre-trial detention for over three months in 2018. He was acquitted of various “misdemeanour “ charges including espionage in 2023 – the acquittals of which were upheld by the Greek Supreme Court.
Following a trial, which commenced in December 2025 and concluded on 15 January 2025, Seán and all of his co-defendants were acquitted on a number of felony charges, which included people smuggling (facilitation of illegal entry), membership of a criminal organisation and money laundering.
The charges have been widely condemned as completely baseless by jurists, international human rights organisations and experts and independent commentators. [1]
If convicted, Seán Binder and his co-defendants faced over 20 years imprisonment.
In November 2023, a panel of the Inns’ Conduct Committee (ICC) unanimously decided, following a hearing, that Seán was a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Inns of Court to study as a barrister, despite the ongoing prosecution against him.
Gráinne Mellon of Garden Court Chambers, led by Ed Fitzgerald KC, was instructed on the international and European elements of Seán’s case, and on his domestic regulatory appeal, respectively by Tessa Gregory of Leigh Day, and Andrew Katzen of Hickman and Rose LLP.
Further details on the recent acquittals is available: Guardian Coverage, RTÉ, BBC News
Full details on the regulatory case is available here: Law Gazette, The Times
Notes
[1] UN Special Rapporteur, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists
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