NEWS

Spaniards arrested for transporting migrants released

Spaniards arrested for transporting migrants released

A Greek court on Friday ordered the conditional release of two Spanish self-styled activists arrested for allegedly trying to take a group of migrants out of the country.

Mikel Zuloaga, 61, and Begona Huarte, 59, were released on bail of 2,000 euros ($2,100) each pending a trial whose date has not been set, a coastguard source told AFP.

The two members of the Basque group Ongi etorri Errefuxiatuak ("Refugees welcome"), had been detained at the northwestern port of Igoumenitsa on Tuesday. They had been driving a camper van where border guards found eight hidden youths from Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran, including a transsexual woman and a pregnant girl.

In a taped message, the pair said they wanted to make a political statement of "disobedience" to the "barbaric" policies of European governments who have raised borders of "death" to refugees. Over 13,000 people had earlier signed an online petition to release the two activists.

[AFP]

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