An Irish humanitarian worker, facing trial in Greece, believes the charges are aimed at discouraging other aid workers helping people who cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Sean Binder is one of 24 migrant rescue volunteers on Lesbos who were charged in 2018 with a range of offences, including spying and illegal access to state communications.
Amnesty International has labelled the trial ' farcical' and called for all the charges to be dropped.
Sean Binder says there is a duty to help people in distress:
We have seen many cases against other search and rescues across the European Union.
All of them have ended in acquittal because the law is resoundingly clear
Whether Greece or the other EU states like it not, we have the law and we have human rights.
We must respect them.
