The case has drawn widespread condemnation, with critics describing it as an attack on solidarity and humanity. Jason Apostolopoulos, a prominent figure in the refugee support community, wrote on X: “Take them into your homes, they’ve been saying for years. Well, Ingeborg Beugel did, and now she’s sentenced to eight months in prison! The state doesn’t forget the humiliation Mitsotakis suffered when she asked him, ‘Have you been to Samos?’ If standing with refugees is a crime, then we are all criminals!”

A decades-old law

Beugel’s case was prosecuted under a 1991 law enacted during the administration of Konstantinos Mitsotakis, the current prime minister’s father. The law criminalises facilitating the stay of third-country nationals in Greece. Beugel, speaking to The Press Project in June 2022, described the case as unprecedented:

“If convicted, I will be the first in Greece to be prosecuted under this law. The accusation states it is illegal to facilitate the stay of an undocumented immigrant. But Feraidou [the refugee] had been in Greece for three years when I met him. I did not hide him; I openly declared to the asylum service that he was staying with me. From the moment I met him until now, when he has been granted asylum, he was undergoing the legal process.”

Beugel characterised the case as a personal vendetta rooted in long-standing animosity from her Hydra neighbours, emboldened by the current political climate.

MeRA25’s condemnation

In a statement, MeRA25 criticised the conviction as punitive and politically motivated:

“In June 2021, Beugel hosted a refugee seeking asylum in her home for a few days. Shortly afterward, the refugee was granted asylum. Despite this, the Single-Member Court of First Instance of Piraeus has sentenced her to prison under a racist law enacted in 1991 during a wave of xenophobia.

The refugee was released after his arrest, having provided the police with Beugel’s address as his residence. Even the authorities acknowledged he was not a flight risk.”

MeRA25 accused the government of using Beugel’s case to criminalise solidarity and set an example of punishment. “The government is sending a clear message: those who act with humanity and solidarity will face consequences,” the statement said. It also noted the prosecutor’s political tone, suggesting the case had implications for Greece’s foreign relations, which MeRA25 described as a government directive rather than an independent judicial concern.

MeRA25 affirmed its support for Beugel and solidarity with refugees, stating: “We stand unwaveringly with Ingeborg Beugel, on the side of solidarity and humanity.”

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.