"We were put in prison because we decided to save lives when the governments of Europe and the world failed to do so."
This Syrian refugee almost died making her swim to freedom now she's facing a prison sentence for rescuing others trying to do the same.
This Syrian refugee almost died making her swim to freedom now she's facing a prison sentence for rescuing others trying to do the same.
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00:00The prosecution case accuses me of being a smuggler, a criminal, a spy with a threat of 25 years sentence of charges for fascinating people smuggling.
00:11It is ridiculous and obviously wrong.
00:21We would receive them on the shoreline with a blanket, water bottle and medical care if they needed.
00:27Fast forward and it's now August 2018.
00:33Three years after I reached Europe, I'm about to board a flight for a visit to Berlin and I'm suddenly surrounded by uniformed police officers.
00:44I'm being arrested by the Greek police claiming to be breaking up a criminal network.
00:49The prosecution case accuses me of being a smuggler, a criminal, a spy with a threat of 25 years sentence of charges for fascinating people smuggling.
01:00It is ridiculous and obviously wrong.
01:04After some nights in the police station, I was transferred to Koleda Rose Woman Prison in Athens.
01:11One hundred and seven long days behind bars later, I'm allowed to pay bail and finally leave.
01:28I'm out of prison but I'm not free.
01:32Until today, the Greek authorities and just to continue to insist that I and my colleagues were part of criminal network.
01:40In many countries, if you fail to help someone in need, for example a car accident, it is a crime.
01:47But we were put in prison because we decided to save lives when the governments of Europe and the world failed to do so.
02:01The dinghy is overcrowded because it's only built for seven people and now 20 people are crammed in the boat including a four-year-old child.
02:16Just 15 minutes into the journey, the boat starts taking on water and the sea is rough.
02:23And then the engine starts to fail.
02:25Yusra and I jumped in the water as we come from a Damascus family with long tradition of professional swimmers.
02:32We know we can survive in the water.
02:35We also believe if we pull our string, we can power the boat forward to the shore which is five kilometers away.
02:42The wind was so strong and the waves are so high.
02:46But after three and a half hours of pushing and pulling together, we make it to the north shore of Lesbos, Greece.
02:52But this arrival in Europe was not the end of my journey.
02:57In many ways, it was just the beginning.
03:23Despite my experience, I still support Sea Rescue.
03:27As a volunteer, I was crewed on Sea Watch 4 mission in April 2021 and I was involved in the rescue of 456 people.
03:38Today, I'm still waiting for my innocence to be proven and I'm not alone.
03:44There are more than 150 similar cases pending against humanitarians.
03:48There are more than 150 similar cases pending against humanitarians from around the world.
03:54Crashing and sometimes bizarre attempts are being made to intimidate us and stop us in our fight.
04:01But guess what?
04:03We will not stop.