Seán sends a message of thanks from his prison cell

THIS letter from Seán Binder was read out to the demonstrators who gathered in Dublin at the weekend to protest his innocence.

ONE might expect being locked up to be a very lonely time in one’s life, but that has not been my experience at all. We are very many who are outraged by the lip service paid to fundamental rights while, in practice, they’re often ignored or even challenged and many suffer direly as a consequence.

There are thousands who continue to volunteer, there are a quarter of a million who’ll have marched in the past 10 days and they have begun countless debates. Our beliefs are neither novel or unheard: search and rescue is not a crime, humanitarianism is not a crime, solidarity is not a crime.

I was asked recently if I’m surprised I was arrested? Yes and no is my answer.

Yes I’m surprised. I have never master-minded a criminal organisation, smuggled or spied and those of you with whom I’ve studied maths and stats will verify my incapacity for money laundering! On the majority of the dates on which I’m accused of these crimes I wasn’t even in Greece!

On the other hand I’m not surprised at our arrest. Our case can be connected with the criminalisation of humanitarian assistance across Europe. But we refuse to accept that pulling families out of European waters is illegal. Whether you’re on the right or left, nobody should accept that parents cling to cliffs at the edge of Europe in the middle of the night while their children go into hypothermic shock. Together we ensure search and rescue is not a crime, that solidarity is not a crime.

Thank you for raising your voices and for holding those responsible to account.

In a light-hearted note that showed Seán hasn’t lost his sense of humour, despite being jailed, he added:

I suppose it’s the least you could do really because many of you greatly influenced me and taught me your values, so you’re all as responsible as I am.