Lawyers for nine Egyptian men facing trial in Greece for a capsized fishing trawler that killed hundreds of migrants argue their clients are innocent and that Greece lacks jurisdiction over the case.
The defense team for nine Egyptian men accused of causing one of the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwrecks has proclaimed their clients' innocence and asserted that Greek courts lack jurisdiction in the case. The trial, set to begin next week, will center on the tragic sinking of the Adriana, an overcrowded fishing trawler carrying hundreds of migrants from Libya to Italy. The disaster claimed the lives of an estimated 500 to 700 people, leaving only 104 survivors.
The nine defendants, ranging in age from their early 20s to early 40s, face multiple life sentences if convicted of charges including migrant smuggling, participation in a criminal organization, and causing a deadly shipwreck. However, their defense team maintains that they were merely paying passengers, not crew members, and that Greece has no authority to try the case as the shipwreck occurred in international waters.
Lawyer Vicky Aggelidou stated that the defendants are "random people, smuggled people who paid the same amounts as all the others to take this trip to Italy aiming for a better life." She denounced the accusations against them as part of the smuggling team, emphasizing that they have been mistakenly identified as crew members by survivors who gave testimonies under duress.
Dimitris Choulis, another defense lawyer, criticized the Greek authorities for labeling the defendants as crew members based on testimonies by survivors who identified them for minor tasks such as distributing water or fruit to other passengers. He lamented the prolonged detention of the nine individuals without a clear understanding of their charges, highlighting the disheartening experience of visiting them in prison unaware of their alleged crimes.
The Adriana's sinking unfolded within Greece's search and rescue zone, despite its occurrence in international waters. The Greek coast guard monitored the vessel for a day before the tragedy but did not attempt a rescue. Critics have accused Greek authorities of triggering the shipwreck while attempting to tow the boat out of their zone of responsibility.
The defense team further argues that the shipwreck occurred in international waters, rendering Greek courts ineligible to handle the case. They intend to file a motion to dismiss the charges on these grounds at the trial's commencement next week.
Greece serves as a gateway into the European Union for individuals fleeing conflict and hardship in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. While most migrants enter Greece through its eastern Aegean Sea islands from Turkey, others attempt to avoid Greece entirely by traversing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Italy.
In a separate incident, Greece's coast guard recently rescued 42 migrants and continues to search for three missing persons after a boat carrying asylum seekers sent out a distress call south of Crete. The vessel's type and the cause of the distress call remain unknown.
