Norway court blocks extradition of migrant activist to Greece

A Norwegian tribunal has blocked the extradition of the laminitis of a quality rights radical helping migrants to Greece where helium was wanted implicit quality smuggling charges, his lawyer said Saturday.

Tommy Olsen, laminitis of the Aegean Boat Report, which helps migrants successful distress successful the Aegean Sea, was arrested connected March 16 by Norwegian constabulary pursuing a European apprehension warrant issued by Greece.

On the aforesaid day, a territory tribunal recovered that helium could beryllium extradited to Greece, but the ruling was challenged. Olsen was released connected March 20, pending the appeal.

The Norwegian Court of Appeal then overturned the territory court’s decision.

Olsen’s lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, noted that the tribunal had recovered that “the acts described successful the Greek indictment are not punishable under Norwegian law.”

It besides recovered that “the behaviour of the Greek authorities entails a existent hazard of violating Olsen’s close to state of expression,” Risnes told AFP successful an email.

The Aegean Boat Report said successful a station connected its ιστότοπος that “this is not lone an important idiosyncratic victory for Tommy Olsen.”

“It is besides an important determination for journalists, quality rights defenders, humanitarian workers, and everyone documenting abuses astatine Europe’s borders,” the radical said.

Other rights groups, including Amnesty International, had called connected Norway not to extradite Olsen.

Earlier successful May, the Aegean Boat Report accused the Greek coastguard of endangering a migrant vessel that came into distress successful the Aegean Sea.

One idiosyncratic died and 43 were rescued from the vessel by Turkey’s seashore guard.

The Norwegian NGO said it had received an exigency telephone from radical connected the inflatable who said they had been “violently pushed back” by the Greek seashore guard.

The NGO documents amerciable pushbacks blamed connected the Greek coastguard – allegations that Greece denies.

Over 1,200 migrants person died oregon gone missing successful the Mediterranean since the opening of the year, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Source: AFP