Olsen has operated a hotline from Tromsø to assist people in distress at sea in the Aegean Sea, according to multiple reports. When his phone rings, he calls rescue boats in the area to try to ensure they find and rescue refugees before it is too late. According to NRK Troms og Finnmark, Tommy Olsen described the urgency of these efforts, noting that failure can mean drownings, and he emphasized the need for a clear head to handle the job professionally, especially during periods with multiple boats calling at night.
In Norway, the Socialist Left Party (SV) and its representative Mirell Høyer-Berntsen are asking the justice minister to stop Olsen's extradition to Greece. SV believes the human smuggling accusations are punishment for Olsen's documentation of Greek abuses against refugees. According to NRK Troms og Finnmark, Mirell Høyer-Berntsen described the situation as one where Norway must protect human rights defenders from political persecution.
I have a hotline, explains Tommy.
Olsen was recently imprisoned for five days in Tromsø high-security prison, though the reasons for that detention have not been disclosed. The case highlights the dangers in the Aegean Sea, as illustrated by Karim Tahir, a Syrian refugee who fled in 2015 and attempted to cross from Turkey to Greece multiple times. According to NRK Troms og Finnmark, Karim Tahir described fearing for his life during these attempts.
The specific evidence Greece has to support its accusations against Olsen, as well as the current legal status of the extradition process and the Norwegian justice minister's response, remain unclear. Additionally, the number of refugees Olsen has directly helped rescue and the specific Greek abuses he documented have not been confirmed.
That they drown.
One might think it is a bit desperate, but it is part of the job. To handle it professionally. In periods, it is not just one boat calling at night, it can be three-four-five boats calling, he says thoughtfully.
You must have a clear head. You must do a job, and when you have done that job, then ... Sometimes you just have to move on. If you become emotionally or affectively marked, and take it to heart, you cannot do a job, especially not over a longer period.
I thought: Will they ever find our bodies, or will
Norway cannot send human rights defenders to political persecution. We must protect those who report abuse of power, says Høyer-Berntsen.