U.N. calls for charges against aid workers in Greece to be dropped

FILE PHOTO: Supporters hang a banner outside a courthouse as aid worker face trial over refugee rescues, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Elias Marcou

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights office on Friday called for charges against the humanitarian workers on trial in Greece to be dropped and said the case had had a chilling effect on humanitarian organisations in the region.

"Trials like this are deeply concerning because they criminalise lifesaving work and set a dangerous precedent," Elizabeth Throssell, a spokesperson for the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights told reporters at a briefing in Geneva.