Greece: Court drops migrant shipwreck charges against ‘Pylos 9’
Source: InfoMigrants: reliable and verified news for migrants – InfoMigrants
A court in Greece has dismissed all charges against nine Egyptian men accused of causing a shipwreck off Greece last June. The court said it did not have jurisdiction to try the case.
The sinking of the fishing trawler Adriana carrying hundreds of migrants mainly from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt on June 14 last year was one of the deadliest boat accidents in the Mediterranean. More than 700 people are thought to have been on board when the boat capsized en route from Libya to Italy – only 104 survived. The bodies of 82 victims were recovered from deep waters off the coast of the Peloponnese peninsula.
Nine Egyptian men aged between 21 and 41 – who had been among the passengers – were arrested hours after the accident and have spent the past 11 months in pre-trial detention on charges of migrant smuggling, causing a shipwreck and participating in a criminal organization. They would have faced multiple life sentences had they been convicted.
On Tuesday morning (May 21), the men who have come to be known as the ‘Pylos 9’ faced a packed courtroom in the southern Greek city of Kalamata.
The defence team argued that a Greek court could not try the case as the incident happened in international waters. The court then dropped the charges against the men. “The court accepts the argument of the prosecution and states that the nine accused are acquitted,” it said.
Also read: ‘My tears won’t stop falling’: Families worry after deadly Greece shipwreck

Relief as case dismissed
As the decision was announced, some relatives of the accused hugged each other and cried.
The men – who had denied wrongdoing – told the court that they did not understand why they had become suspects. “I don’t know why I am in prison. I want to see my family,” said one, adding that he had lost a family member in the shipwreck.
“I was in hospital after surviving the shipwreck with difficulty, and I find myself accused. I don’t know why,” said another.
Also read: Frontex report into Greek shipwreck suggests more deaths could have been prevented
Prior to the trial, protestors gathered outside the court, leading to a brief skirmish with police. Two people were hurt and at least three were detained, according to reports.

Human rights and civil society groups, lawyers and witnesses reacted with jubilation to the news of the men’s acquittal. Some believe the trial was part of a practice of criminalizing asylum seekers.
Ever since the deadly incident, many had said the Greek coast guard was at fault and the boat capsized as a result of a failed attempt to tow the fishing trawler.
The legal team for the defendants claimed the coast guard monitored the migrant boat for hours before launching a rescue operation. The coast guard consistently denied the accusations and said that it had communicated with people on board who “refused any help.”
A separate investigation into the potential liability of the Greek coast guard, which started last June, continues. Legal NGOs have joined the case on behalf of 53 survivors of the shipwreck, alleging that Greek authorities were responsible.
Also read: Greece comes in for criticism over Pylos shipwreck probe
With Reuters, AFP
The original article: InfoMigrants: reliable and verified news for migrants – InfoMigrants .
belongs to