A Greek court has begun proceedings against Norwegian activist Tommy Olsen, founder of Aegean Boat Report, over allegations that he helped facilitate the irregular entry of migrants into Greece.
Olsen runs Aegean Boat Report, an independent platform that monitors boats carrying asylum seekers and migrants in distress in the Aegean Sea. The organisation says it alerts Greek or Turkish authorities when it receives information about people who need assistance, depending on where the boat or migrants are located.
Greek prosecutors accuse Olsen of conspiring to facilitate the smuggling of migrants into Greece and helping conceal people from authorities. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Olsen is not attending the proceedings in person. Norwegian authorities previously declined to extradite him after assessing the evidence provided by Greece, according to Olsen.
The case has attracted attention from human rights organisations, which say it raises broader questions about the treatment of groups documenting conditions faced by asylum seekers at Greece’s borders.
The International Federation for Human Rights and the World Organisation Against Torture have described Olsen as a human rights defender and said the proceedings form part of what they describe as judicial harassment of migration-rights activists.
Aegean Boat Report has documented distress calls and movements of migrant boats in the Aegean and has provided information used in cases concerning alleged pushbacks by Greek authorities. Pushbacks refer to the return of people without allowing them to access asylum procedures.
Maria Gavouneli, head of the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that information collected by organisations such as Aegean Boat Report has been used in proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.
The Council of Europe has also continued to raise concerns about alleged pushbacks in Greece. A recent assessment said measures taken by Greek authorities, including retraining law-enforcement personnel, did not yet appear sufficient to address concerns over what the European Court of Human Rights has identified as a systematic practice of pushbacks.
Greek authorities, however, have argued that some organisations and activists involved in migrant assistance can cross the line into facilitating irregular migration. The government has previously brought cases against aid workers accused of assisting migrants to enter or remain in Greece unlawfully.
In January, all 30 members of the Emergency Response Centre International, a search-and-rescue organisation, were acquitted in a separate case involving similar allegations. Syrian swimmer and activist Sarah Mardini was among those defendants. Charges against the German organisation Mare Liberum were also dropped for lack of evidence, according to the report.
Despite those acquittals, the cases have had a lasting impact on humanitarian organisations working with migrants. Olsen’s lawyer, Zacharias Kesses, told Al Jazeera that legal proceedings can impose significant financial and personal pressure even when defendants are eventually cleared.
Olsen says his organisation has also lost financial support as sponsors became concerned about the legal dispute. He told Al Jazeera that he was facing about €19,000 in unpaid legal bills and had sold his car to help meet the costs.
The activist began working with refugees during the 2015-16 migration crisis after leaving his job as a kindergarten teacher. He later established Aegean Boat Report as a platform for monitoring migrant movements and distress situations in the Aegean.
The case is being closely watched by organisations defending migrants’ rights because of the potential consequences for people and groups that document events at Europe’s external borders.
Olsen maintains that his work is about alerting authorities to people in distress and documenting possible violations of their rights. Greek prosecutors, meanwhile, allege that his activities contributed to irregular migration.
The proceedings will determine whether the evidence Greek authorities present establishes criminal responsibility. Until the court decides, the allegations against Olsen remain unproven.