@ABoatReport founder appeals court’s decision for  his extradition to Greece

Aegean Boat Report founder Tommy Olsen has appealed the decision by the district court to allow his extradition to Greece.

Olsen was arrested in March by Norwegian police in connection with a European Arrest Warrant issued by Greece.

The case will be heard by the Court of Appeal on April 17,” Aegean Boat Report said, adding that: “This means that no final decision has been made, and the legal process is ongoing. I remain in Norway while preparing for the next stage together with my legal team.”

Aegean Boat Report sheds more light on development below:

What this case is about

The charges brought against me by Greek authorities include:

 • participation in a criminal organization

 • facilitation of irregular entry

 • human smuggling

These allegations are false.For nearly a decade, through Aegean Boat Report, I have documented what is happening in the Aegean Sea. From my home in Tromsø, I receive information, images and videos from people at sea and from those who have just arrived on the Greek islands.This work is documentation.Nothing else.

What this case is really about

This case is not about actions I have taken. It is about the information I have published.

For years, Aegean Boat Report has exposed practices at Europe’s borders that authorities would prefer to keep out of public view.So-called pushbacks — where people are prevented from reaching land or forcibly returned without access to asylum — have been documented again and again.These practices have been criticised by organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

A broader pattern

This case must be understood in a wider context. Across Europe, we are seeing increasing attempts to criminalise:

 • journalists • human rights defenders • people documenting migration

When documentation becomes inconvenient, those who produce it are increasingly treated as suspects.

Not because of what they have done  but because of what they reveal.

Why this matters

This is an attack on:

 • freedom of expression

 • the right to document

 • the protection of human rights defenders

If documenting human rights violations can be redefined as criminal activity, then the consequences go far beyond this case. It creates a chilling effect.It sends a message that exposing abuse carries personal risk.

What comes next?

The appeal hearing on April 17 will be a crucial moment. Until then, my legal team and I will continue to prepare the case.Thank you to everyone who has shown support.

Final words

This is not about smuggling. This is about the criminalisation of a human rights defender. It is about turning documentation into a crime. And it is about whether those who expose human rights violations should be protected —or prosecuted.