An Islington man faces a “farcical” trial in Greece for helping refugees at sea, a human rights group has claimed.

Seán Binder, a German citizen raised in Ireland, and a constituent of Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn, is facing misdemeanour charges including espionage and forgery, which can carry up to eight years in prison.

Seán, a trained rescue diver, was arrested after assisting refugees stranded at sea in August 2018, and spent more than 100 days in prison before being released on bail.

The trial began on Tuesday (January 10) in Lesbos at the Court of Appeals of Northern Aegean and is expected to take weeks to conclude.

There are 23 other defendants on trial, all volunteers from the search and rescue NGO Emergency Response Center International. These include Syrian refugee and activist Sarah Mardini, whose story inspired the Netflix film The Swimmers.

All 24 are also facing an ongoing investigation over charges of people smuggling, fraud, membership of a criminal organisation, and money laundering, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Seán said: “If I can be criminalised for mostly doing little more than handing out bottles of water and smiles, then so can anyone.

“This trial is not about me and Sarah, or even the 22 other defendants. This trial is about the Greek authorities trying to crush compassion and prevent people from seeking safety.

“But I trust that justice will prevail, and we will be able to get on with our lives.”

At the start of the trial, Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn said: “Today, one of my constituents is on trial in Lesbos, simply for trying to rescue refugees drowning at sea.

“These baseless charges must be dropped immediately. Saving lives is not a crime.”

Amnesty International has renewed its call for the Greek authorities to drop all charges against Seán and Sarah.

Nils Muižnieks, director of Amnesty International’s European Regional Office, said: “Sarah and Seán did what any of us should do if we were in their position.

“Helping people at risk of drowning in one of the deadliest sea routes in Europe and assisting them on the shoreline is not a crime.

“This trial reveals how the Greek authorities will go to extreme lengths to deter humanitarian assistance and discourage migrants and refugees from seeking safety on the country’s shores, something which we see in a number of European countries.

“It is farcical that this trial is even taking place. All charges against the rescuers must be dropped without delay.”