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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 2d

🔥 These things got us talking at our annual workshop: creatively disrupting hostile border systems; navigating abolition; borderless empires vs bordered reparations.

Watch to find out more! 👇

@juliawinkler.bsky.social @mfbosworth.bsky.social @smilivojevic.bsky.social
@cambridgelaw.bsky.social

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Julia Winkler @juliawinkler.bsky.social · 3d

Tomorrow, 6 October at 7 PM, I’m happy to be moderating the 5th edition of the MENA Prison Forum Series.

This session will focus on the detention industry in Libya and the crimes against humanity committed against people on the move - and European complicity!

ECCHR - European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights @ecchr.bsky.social · 13d

Save the date: 6 Oct - MENA Prison Forum in Berlin #5 Libya

The Berlin premiere of the documentary „Escaping Libya’s Detention Industry“ will be followed by a discussion on international crimes committed against migrants and refugees in Libya and the Mediterranean.
www.ecchr.eu/en/event/men...

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Allison West @allisonrwest.bsky.social · 12d

Join us on Monday, 6 October in Berlin for a film screening and talk about Libya’s Detention Industry & Italy’s Complicity👇

@refugeesinlibya.bsky.social
@de-criminalize.bsky.social
@medico2.bsky.social @forensicarchi.bsky.social
@libyanjustice.bsky.social

ECCHR - European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights @ecchr.bsky.social · 13d

Save the date: 6 Oct - MENA Prison Forum in Berlin #5 Libya

The Berlin premiere of the documentary „Escaping Libya’s Detention Industry“ will be followed by a discussion on international crimes committed against migrants and refugees in Libya and the Mediterranean.
www.ecchr.eu/en/event/men...

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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 20d

On the Berlin Smuggler’s Gala, and how “criminalisation is always contingent on the current political and social context.”

Continuing our discussions is Julia Winkler of de:criminalize, an organisation supporting people criminalised for migration. At our 2nd panel #BorderCrim2025 #HopeNotBorders

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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 20d

On the common understanding between law enforcement practitioners and migration crime experts: “everyone is pretty much aware that there are very strong backfire effects brought on by counter-smuggling.” @davidlsuber.bsky.social at our 2nd panel.

@cambridgelaw.bsky.social #BorderCrim2025

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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 20d

“Given the centrality of the protection of life and fundamental rights to ethics, the criminalisation of migrant smuggling fails to protect either life or rights”

Dr Myriam Fotou at our 2nd panel #BorderCrim2025 #HopeNotBorders

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Border Criminologies @bordercrim.bsky.social · 20d

“It’s a condescending and patriarchal narrative that the state can best protect those on the move through containment”

Andrew Fallone in our 2nd panel on Reframing smuggling and clandestine migration as knowledge and acts of debordering.

@cambridgelaw.bsky.social #BorderCrim2025 #HopeNotBorders

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Valeria Hänsel @valeriahaensel.bsky.social · 22d

Flucht ist kein Verbrechen. Gemeinsam mit unseren Partnerorganisationen stellen wir uns gegen die Kriminalisierung von Menschen auf der Flucht. Mit dem Fonds für Bewegungsfreiheit verteidigen @medico.de und @de-criminalize.bsky.social Betroffene vor Gericht. Unterstützt uns dabei! 6/6

Fonds für Bewegungsfreiheit

Gemeinsam für das Recht auf Schutz, Zuflucht und ein Leben in Würde. Jetzt spenden und den Fonds füllen.

www.medico.de

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Rosa Luxemburg Foundation @rosaluxglobal.bsky.social · 29d

Ten years after the “summer of migration”, Europe’s walls are higher than ever. Inés Marco and Elahe Kouhestani of @de-criminalize.bsky.social expose how the EU criminalizes freedom of movement — and why decriminalization is essential.

Dismantling Europe’s Border Regime - Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung

Ten years after the “summer of migration”, the walls are higher than ever

www.rosalux.de

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iuventa crew @iuventa-crew.org · Sep 4

Yes!

de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

🥳 Yesterday, four individuals from Sudan were acquitted of all smuggling charges by the court of Heraklion, Crete.

The lawyers of the first case from an NGO successfully argued that he is a refugee fleeing war and must not be criminalized for taking on tasks during his own journey. 1/7

Four Sudanese Men Acquitted in Smuggling Trials - Heraklion, Crete.
Image by de:criminalize #AllEyesOnCrete

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Kerem Schamberger @keremschamberger.bsky.social · Sep 4

"Zehn Jahre nach dem Sommer der Migration: Von Solidarität zur Normalität der Gewalt" - ein aktueller Gastbeitrag von @valeriahaensel.bsky.social und mir in der Frankfurter Rundschau.
@medico2.bsky.social

Zehn Jahre nach dem Sommer der Migration: Von Solidarität zur Normalität der Gewalt

Der Rechtsruck begann in der Migrationspolitik und betrifft heute alle Bereiche der Gesellschaft - ein Gastbeitrag von Valeria Hänsel und Kerem Schamberger von Medico International.

www.fr.de

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Valeria Hänsel @valeriahaensel.bsky.social · Sep 4

Herzlichen Glückwunsch an unsere Partner von @de-criminalize.bsky.social für den großartig Erfolg auf Kreta!

de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

🥳 Yesterday, four individuals from Sudan were acquitted of all smuggling charges by the court of Heraklion, Crete.

The lawyers of the first case from an NGO successfully argued that he is a refugee fleeing war and must not be criminalized for taking on tasks during his own journey. 1/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

We celebrate today’s victory with the four individuals from Sudan

—and we will keep fighting until everyone is free! 7/7

#FreeTheBoys #FreeThemAll #AllEyesOnCrete

We fight for a world in which no one has to risk dangerous crossings, but can move freely.

Until then, as long as people are forced into these journeys by Europe’s border regime, we will continue to fight against the criminalization of the actions that facilitate these journeys—and against the narrative that frames them as “crimes.”

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

However, even international law—the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants—clearly states that migrants, whether or not they are asylum seekers, must not be penalized for relying on smugglers to cross borders.

It is time for this to be finally applied! 6/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

This outcome makes clear that the argument of being a refugee has its limits—it applies only to those who are seen as “deserving” or “worthy” of protection because they fit a narrative of victims. As a result, they are allowed to cross borders and claim basic rights—but only on those terms. 5/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

At the same time, it is important to stress that other defendants—from countries such as Egypt and Nigeria—were found guilty and sentenced, one to 10 years and the other to 25 years in prison.

They should not be criminalized either. 4/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

We are very happy about this outcome and for the four individuals.

We also hope it will serve as a precedent for the trials of the boys that were scheduled for Monday but have now been postponed to dates in November and December, as well as for all others who are still facing charges. 3/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

In the subsequent trials, state-appointed lawyers—who had initially prepared for plea deals—shifted their strategy after this result, adopting the same defense, and their defendants were likewise acquitted.

This highlights once again the importance of proper legal representation in such cases. 2/7

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 4

🥳 Yesterday, four individuals from Sudan were acquitted of all smuggling charges by the court of Heraklion, Crete.

The lawyers of the first case from an NGO successfully argued that he is a refugee fleeing war and must not be criminalized for taking on tasks during his own journey. 1/7

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Julia Winkler @juliawinkler.bsky.social · Sep 4

Im Prozess gegen die Aktivist*innen #Hajnówka5 sind die Anhörungen abgeschlossen; das Urteil wird nächsten Montag verkündet. In ihrem Schlussplädoyer bezeichete die Staatsanwaltschaft das Handeln der Angeklagten als „staats- & systemfeindlich" und forderte eine Haftstrafe von 1 Jahr + 4 Monaten. 1/8

In der oberen Hälfte sieht man ein Foto aus dem Gerichtssaal im Verfahren gegen die polnischen Aktivist*innen Hajnówka5, wo eine starke Medienpräsenz und Kamerateams sichtbar sind.
In der unteren Hälfte sieht man einen Gerichtssaal, wo Verfahren gegen Migrierende stattfinden, die ebenfalls angeklagt sind, und es findet sich keinerlei Medienpräsenz dort.

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Valeria Hänsel @valeriahaensel.bsky.social · Sep 4

Heute berichte ich über die Kriminalisierung von #Bewegungsfreiheit und Hilfe an den EU-Außengrenzen in Polen und Griechenland, die Fälle der #Hajnowka5 und der sudanesischen Jugendlichen auf Kreta, die @medico.de und @de-criminalize.bsky.social mit dem Fonds für Bewegungsfreiheit unterstützten.

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 1

Update on today's trial👇

Today in Crete, we witnessed the trials of boys who had fled Sudan only to be treated not as people exercising their right to move, but as “criminals" accused of "smuggling".

⭕ None of their cases were heard; all the trials were postponed until November and December.
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image:
facade of a large building, made of light brown stone, there are stairs leading up to the main entrance, on the entrance balcony there are several large banners with phrases written in English (Free The Boys), in Arabic and in Greek.

text:
"de:criminalize
All trials postponed - The Boys left Behind Bars
Chania-Crete
#AllEyesOnCrete"

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Julia Winkler @juliawinkler.bsky.social · Sep 3

This opposition reveals the core of the trial: if caring for another person’s dignity – or even their survival – is deemed “hostile” to the system simply because they lack the right papers, then their actions were indeed against the state and system – and rightly so.

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Julia Winkler @juliawinkler.bsky.social · Sep 1

We will keep fighting with the boys and everyone else on trial for smuggling!
@de-criminalize.bsky.social @medico2.bsky.social

#FreeTheBoys #AllEyesOnCrete

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de:criminalize @de-criminalize.bsky.social · Sep 1

❤️‍🔥