A number of Hellenic Coast Guard officers in Karpathos are reportedly being investigated for a range of offences including bribery, drug trafficking and illegally selling confiscated migrant boats. Separately, the appeal trial of Homayoun Sabetara, an Iranian refugee who was arrested in 2021 while driving a vehicle across the Turkish-Greek border and consequently sentenced to 18 years in prison after being convicted of alleged smuggling, is due to start on 22 April. According to the Free Homayoun campaign, “at the time of his escape from Iran, Sabetara had no legal and safe passage available to travel to Germany, where his daughters currently reside”. Campaigners and supporters are calling for Sabetara and all other migrants who are convicted on spurious charges of “smuggling” to be acquitted.

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