Migrant rights defender Tommy Olsen to stand trial
On 6 October 2026, human rights defender Tommy Olsen will stand trial on charges of facilitation of unlawful entry of third country nationals to Greece, facilitation of unlawful residence, and participation in a criminal organisation, before the Rhodes Three-Member Court of Appeal of the Dodecanese for Felonies. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Aegean Boat Report monitors and reports on issues related to people on the move in the Aegean Sea, particularly incidents of people crossing the sea and governments’ responses to them. Aegean Boat Report provides detailed, factual, and neutral information on arrivals, and campaigns to ensure that illegal activities such as pushbacks by governments, their coast guards, and other uniformed state employees are highlighted and stamped out. The organisation was founded in 2017 and registered in 2018 as a non-governmental organisation in Norway.
On 6 October 2026, human rights defender Tommy Olsen will stand trial on charges of facilitation of unlawful entry of third country nationals to Greece, facilitation of unlawful residence, and participation in a criminal organisation, before the Rhodes Three-Member Court of Appeal of the Dodecanese for Felonies. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Tommy Olsen is a Norwegian human rights defender who began his work as a volunteer taking in boats with people on the move on the Greek island of Lesvos in 2015, and supporting people on the move during the height of arrivals to Europe. In 2017, witnessing the lack of reliable and consistent information about boat crossings and distress cases in the Aegean Sea, he founded Aegean Boat Report in Tromsø, Norway. Through independent monitoring and documentation, Aegean Boat Report provides accurate data on sea arrivals, pushbacks, and human rights violations, exposing illegal practices and advocating for the rights of people on the move.
The human rights defender is charged with ‘Establishing and participating in a criminal organisation’, through Aegean Boat Report; ‘Facilitating the unlawful entry into Greek territory of third-country nationals without the legally required border checks, jointly, in respect of multiple persons, for profit and on a professional basis’; and ‘Facilitating the unlawful stay of third-country nationals in Greek territory, in respect of multiple persons and for profit.’
On 16 March 2026, authorities in Norway arrested Tommy Olsen from his home in Tromsø under a European Arrest Warrant and remanded him into custody. The warrant had been issued by authorities in Greece in December 2025, requesting his extradition to face criminal prosecution.
On 20 March 2026, Nord-Troms and Senja District Court held that Tommy Olsen should be released because it had not been shown to be probable that he would evade or obstruct surrender. This order was not appealed.
On 15 May 2026, the Hålogaland Court of Appeal unanimously ruled against the extradition of Tommy Olsen to Greece on the basis that the requirement of dual-criminality was not satisfied, notably that the acts forming the criminal charges against Tommy Olsen, such as assisting someone in applying for asylum, are not considered criminal acts under Norwegian law. Additionally, they ruled that there were concrete indications that the charges against him represent a real risk of a violation of his freedom of expression protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The current criminal case against Tommy Olsen stems from accusations in 2021 of facilitating ‘illegal migration flows’. The accusations relate to Tommy Olsen’s activities in his capacity as founder of Aegean Boat Report, including receiving information concerning people arriving on Greek islands, communicating information concerning their presence and assisting people in accessing asylum procedures. The investigation concerning the accusations was initiated in the context of public statements by the then-Minister for Migration and Asylum, accusing Aegean Boat Report of helping smugglers bring people to Greece.
Front Line Defenders remains seriously concerned about the upcoming trial of Tommy Olsen, as the charges against him seem to stem directly from his human rights work supporting refugees and migrants, and documenting pushbacks by the Greek authorities. The organisation considers that his prosecution and the issuance of a European Arrest Warrant against him reflect a broader pattern of judicial harassment and criminalisation of human rights defenders working to protect the rights of refugees and migrants tin Greece.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Greece to:
- Immediately drop all charges against human rights defender Tommy Olsen;
- Cease all forms of judicial harassment and criminalisation of human rights defenders who peacefully defend the rights of migrants and refugees;
- Ensure that in all circumstances all human rights defenders in Greece can carry out their human rights work, in a safe and enabling environment, free from restrictions and the fear of reprisals.
