Authorities in Greece have issued a European arrest warrant against a Norwegian citizen named on charges of human trafficking, facilitation of irregular entry into the country and participation in a criminal organization. Olsen, 53, a kindergarten teacher and migrant rights activist, founded during the 2015 refugee crisis to document irregular boat arrivals, as well as possible human rights violations at maritime borders, including illegal pushbacks. Both the accused and his lawyers and organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consider that the case is part of processes against activists who work with immigrants.
The order comes at a time of maximum efforts by the Conservative Government to stop irregular immigration, tightening border control and the margin of action of those who assist new arrivals. This episode coincides with asylum, which extends penalties against trafficking networks, but also tightens the siege on activists and volunteers who provide help to migrants. The new legal framework provides for sentences of up to 10 years in prison for those who collaborate in these tasks if they are found guilty, and up to life imprisonment for traffickers.
The Norwegian activist has “strongly” rejected the charges and described the order as a serious escalation in the Greek government’s efforts to criminalize independent human rights monitoring in the Aegean. “I have done absolutely nothing wrong. This is a deliberate persecution of a human rights defender with the aim of intimidating and silencing him,” he defended in a statement.
“Every day, Aegean Boat Report monitors the Aegean in real time, responding to distress calls, documenting illegal returns and providing verified data to journalists, lawyers, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations,” he added. Olsen’s reports have been cited by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and numerous international media.
It is not the first time that Olsen has run into justice. A recent investigation by EL PAÍS into the illegal transfer of personal data from Frontex (the European border control agency) to Europol revealed that both agencies stored information on activists and migrants without legal guarantees. Olsen was listed as one of the human rights defenders included in police files and “intelligence notifications” linked to his NGO.
The order has not yet been officially notified to him. Olsen was informed this Wednesday by the Norwegian police. His lawyer in Greece, Zac Kesses, explains that the decision will be passed to the Norwegian authorities as soon as the order enters SIRENE, the system that manages Information System alerts in 31 Schengen countries. From that moment on, you may be arrested and deported. “Sooner or later, the order will be registered and the Greek and Norwegian authorities will have to cooperate for its execution. It also means that Mr. Olsen could be in danger, not only in Norway, but anywhere,” says Kesses.
The lawyer recalls that there is a legislative framework that regulates extradition between Norway and Greece, including reasons why a Norwegian citizen cannot be extradited, such as evidentiary issues and fair trial guarantees. “The Norwegian authorities could reject the extradition request – this is the issue we need to look at now,” he says.
Not being an NGO registered in Greece, but operating remotely from Norway, Olsen would not be affected by the latest immigration reform. However, the penalties for the crimes charged can reach 10 years in prison and increase if there are aggravating circumstances. Adriana Tidona, of Amnesty International, remembers that a few months ago, they faced up to 25 years in prison for similar charges. “It is not directly related, but both speak of the same context of hostility against NGOs and against those who support migrants and refugees,” he denounces.
Amnesty has expressed concern about the reform of Greek immigration law because it is not in line with international standards, says Tidona. “According to international law, trafficking must be prosecuted if there has been a derived economic benefit. Whoever acts for humanitarian purposes should not be prosecuted. However, Greece does not include this requirement,” says the expert.
The basis of the accusations
The events against Olsen date back to 2021, when he and another activist, Panayote Dimitras, founder of the NGO and a veteran Greek human rights defender, were investigated. Dimitras was accused of alerting authorities about the arrival of migrants on the islands of Kos and Farmakonisi on July 13, 2021, according to HRW.
Dimitras then sent emails to the Police, the Coast Guard, immigration authorities, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Greek Ombudsman in which he listed the names and nationalities of the migrants and reported his intention to request asylum, a practice he regularly carried out. The activist remains under judicial investigation and .
Regarding Olsen, the indictment maintains that he facilitated the entry and residence of third-country nationals in Greece in cooperation with Dimitras and two alleged traffickers. He also sent an email to Greek authorities with data and location of those migrants so that they could join the asylum process.
Olsen’s case is especially complex because, at first, the investigating judge requested his dismissal due to lack of evidence, but the Prosecutor’s Office opposed it. In April 2023 he was summoned to testify and, according to Greek law, precautionary measures, including preventive detention, could be imposed after interrogation. After consulting with his legal team, Olsen decided not to travel to Greece and sent a letter alleging lack of evidence and violation of his presumption of innocence.
The judge initially opted for a forced appearance order without international effects. A year later, since he had not appeared, an arrest warrant was issued considering that there was sufficient evidence to support the accusation. Since an order limited to Greece was of little use, the next step has been to raise it to an international level.
