A rescue worker who grew up in Co Kerry has said his trial in Greece over smuggling-related charges is "deeply damaging" to the European Union.
Seán Binder went on trial in Greece today, facing charges including espionage and forgery.
Mr Binder and 23 others were arrested in 2018 while volunteering for a search-and-rescue charity on the island of Lesbos, where they were helping migrants.
Mr Binder said the trial was "an attack on the idea of human rights and the rule of law", but added that he was confident of being found innocent in a trial that is run fairly.
Green Party MEP Grace O'Sullivan is in Lesbos for the trial and said all but one of the defendants were at the courthouse this morning.
She said one of the defendants, Sarah Mardini, is not there because she is considered a person of security risk, which Ms O'Sullivan described as "a denial of justice for her".
Ms Mardini, who is originally from Syria, arrived in Lesbos as a refugee in 2015.
After the engine failed on the boat she was travelling on, she and her sister Yusra saved 18 fellow passengers by pulling the sinking boat to safety.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms O'Sullivan said there was great concern and anticipation ahead of the case opening.
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She said there are a number of misdemeanors that may be heard, but as there are some procedural errors around these, there is hope that the case will be dismissed, and the accused will be acquitted on those grounds.
But if it does progress, it would be a long process as the more serious charges may take substantially longer to come to trial, she said.
She said that Mr Binder is keen to get the trial under way as he has been waiting since 2018 for this to be dealt with.
"You know he wants to get on with his life. He has been waiting now since August 2018, awaiting trials. Then the trial adjourned and it's just going on and on," Ms O'Sullivan said.
She said that Mr Binder is "exhausted". This is traumatic for all of them, she added.
"They're humanitarian workers. They're facing criminal charges that they absolutely deny and it's just shocking that the Greek authorities are putting them through this awful ordeal," she said.
Ms O'Sullivan said that if convicted Mr Binder could face a term of 25 years in jail.
"Which is very, very harsh, and very, very frightening for a young man like him. So, it's very, very serious," she said.
She said she is "very concerned that these people, like Seán, are being scapegoated and that there is an attempt here by the Greek authorities to try to scare off humanitarian workers, NGOs. They're trying to possibly make victims of Seán and the others, so this is my huge concern".
Ms O'Sullivan added that the NGOs were offering support and aid to those seeking refuge in the EU because they are fleeing war situations, "really difficult circumstances".
She said she fears that this case is being used "to try to put others off coming down to support people fleeing horrific situations".
