Dutch female journalist arrested for helping Afghan refugee

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 4 years ago

HYDRA—A female Dutch journalist based in Greece has been arrested on the Greek island of Hydra for hosting an Afghan asylum seeker in her home.

Ingeborg Beugel, 61, a freelance correspondent for Dutch media who has lived on Hydra for almost 40 years, was arrested on 13 June accused of “facilitating the illegal stay of a foreigner in Greece.” The charge carries a 12-month prison sentence and a fine of €5,000 (£4,300).

Beugel and Fridoon were held overnight in Hydra before being transferred to Athens handcuffed together. Beugel said she was arrested after islanders alerted police to the presence of Fridoon, a 23-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan. He had been staying with her while appealing against a negative asylum decision.

Beugel said it was not a secret that Fridoon had been staying with her and that she had covered his story as a journalist. “The whole ‘hiding’ thing is ridiculous,” she said. According to her, there are letters dating from a court case in January 2020 mentioning that she will take care of him and pay for his lawyer and Greek language lessons.

The journalist believed that her arrest was in line with other complaints about police and the Greek authorities harassing journalists. 

Beugel and Fridoon have since been released. The court date has yet to be announced after it was postponed to October because of Covid-19 restrictions.