Charges against migrant support workers annulled in Greece

A court on the Greek island of Lesbos has rejected several charges against a group of volunteer human rights defenders who took part in migrant rescue operations. The group of 24 people – seven Greek and 17 foreign nationals – faced charges including espionage, forgery and unlawful use of radio frequencies. They argue they were simply helping people whose lives were at risk. “Trials like this are deeply concerning because they criminalise life-saving work and set a dangerous precedent,” the UN Human

Rights Office said before the hearing. The court accepted procedural objections by defence lawyers including that documents had not been translated for the foreign defendants. “It is a step, it is the first recognition that there were many legal mistakes that violated the essence of a fair trial,” said defence lawyer Cleo Papapantoleon. “We expect the same to happen with the investigation into the felonies, for which there is also no evidence.”

Indigenous peoples lead popular uprising across Peru

Weeks of mass protests led by Indigenous peoples have been taking place across Peru since the removal and arrest of President Pedro Castillo in December. Protesters demanding fresh elections and a new constitution have been met with violent repression by the caretaker government of Dina Boluarte, with more than 50 people killed in the rural south.

Large parts of the country have been brought to a standstill by the protests and roadblocks since Castillo’s removal, which reflect deep-rooted inequalities between the majority rural, Indigenous communities from the south of the country and the social and political elite based in the capital, Lima. Despite the repression, tens of thousands have travelled to Lima for a new wave of protests which include demands for justice for those killed.

“We have been humiliated and forgotten,” said Dina Quispe from the community of Checyuyoc. “They are killing our brothers with bullets.”