Today the second part of the lawsuit against Pieter Wittenberg from Peest begins. Wittenberg is on trial in Greece with 23 other humanitarian aid workers, accused of espionage and human smuggling, among other things.
Between 2016 and 2017, Wittenberg was part of a group of rescue workers who helped refugees on Greek islands. Among other things, they helped boat people land.
Wittenberg was acquitted in an earlier court case at the beginning of 2024. Then he was tried for misdemeanors. For example, they allegedly tapped radios, failed to inform the coast guard about matters that the coast guard wanted to know and sent coded messages. The group was therefore acquitted.
Now the group is on trial again. According to the Greek justice system, this second part of the criminal process revolves around crimes such as human smuggling, money laundering and being a member of a criminal organization.
Wittenberg is present at the trial in Greece. “I did what every person should do on Lesvos: help people in need. The fact that this work led to a criminal case is painful and worrying. Not only for me and those fleeing, but for everyone who believes in humanity, justice and solidarity.”
He later added: “I believe in the rule of law. I hope this process will put an end to years of uncertainty and make it clear that providing humanitarian assistance is not a crime. Because we are all human, everyone has the right to humanitarian assistance, whether you are fleeing or not.”
It is unclear how long the second part of the process will take.