Humanist leader and human rights defender, Panayote Dimitras
Today, 6 October 2026, Greek humanist and human rights defender Panayote Dimitras and Norwegian human rights defender Tommy Olsen will face trial on serious felony charges in Greece amid an escalating pattern of judicial harassment and criminalization of their legitimate human rights work.
Dimitras, co-founder of the Humanist Union of Greece (HUG) and spokesperson for the Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), and Olsen, founder of Aegean Boat Report, are due to appear before the Court of Appeal for Felonies of the Dodecanese in Rhodes. They face charges including participation in a criminal organization, facilitating unlawful entry, and facilitating unlawful stay. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
The charges represent a gross misuse of anti-smuggling legislation to penalize their legitimate work supporting refugees and migrants. In 2021, Dimitras and Olsen sent emails to Greek authorities informing them of the arrival of asylum seekers on Greek territory and their need to access asylum procedures. Those communications are now being used to prosecute them. Assisting those seeking asylum and documenting alleged abuses are legitimate activities and must not be treated as grounds for criminal prosecution.
The charges have far-reaching repercussions: they create a chilling effect across Greek civil society and send the message that those who document abuses and defend the rights of refugees and migrants may also face prosecution for their human rights work.
Dimitras has spent decades defending freedom of religion or belief, minority rights, and the rights of migrants and refugees. In connection with this case, he is prohibited from leaving Greece, required to report to the police every 15 days, and was ordered to pay €10,000 in bail, significantly restricting his advocacy.
Olsen, whose organization Aegean Boat Report documents arrivals and alleged abuses in the Aegean Sea, will be tried in absentia. Greece has also issued a European Arrest Warrant seeking his surrender. In May 2026, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal in Norway refused Greece’s request for his surrender, finding that the conduct for which he is being prosecuted is not punishable under Norwegian law and that surrendering him would present a real risk of violating his freedom of expression. Despite that ruling, the European Arrest Warrant remains active.
For Dimitras, today’s trial is the latest development in a years-long pattern of judicial harassment. He has previously faced criminal proceedings arising from his human rights advocacy, including a conviction for filing a “false complaint” after challenging antisemitic hate speech. That conviction did not withstand appeal: Dimitras was acquitted in June 2023, reinforcing serious concerns about the repeated use of criminal proceedings against him in connection with his human rights advocacy.
Today’s trial represents a critical test of Greece’s obligations towards those who peacefully defend human rights. Human rights defenders must be able to document abuses, communicate with authorities, and provide assistance without fear of prosecution or retaliation.
The Greek authorities should immediately drop all charges against Panayote Dimitras and Tommy Olsen arising from their legitimate human rights activities, lift the restrictive pretrial measures imposed on Dimitras, withdraw the European Arrest Warrant against Olsen, and end the judicial harassment and criminalization of human rights defenders in Greece.
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash