A UN human rights expert condemned today Europe’s criminalisation of NGO refugee rescuers, calling for cases against them to be dropped.

UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders Mary Lawlor defended the actions of 11 refugee rescuers with criminal cases hanging over them for saving lives at sea.

Ms Lawlor said that the 10 members the Iuventa rescue ship, accused by the Italian government of aiding illegal immigration, and former Sea Watch 3 captain Carola Rackete, who last summer entered an Italian port with 53 rescued people on board without authorities’ permission, “are human rights defenders and not criminals.”