Nine Egyptians cleared of charges in deadly Pylos shipwreck

ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ

Caretaker PM: The independent judiciary will issue a final institutional judgment about the migrants’ shipwreck

IOM, UNHCR issue joint statement calling for urgent action to prevent further deaths at sea

Kalamata Coast Guard launches inquiry into migrant shipwreck as search for missing continues; confirmed dead at 78

Nine Egyptian nationals who were charged of human trafficking after the deadly Pylos shipwreck of June 2023 were released by decision of a Kalamata Criminal Appeals Court on Tuesday.

The wreck occurred early in the morning, about 47 nautical miles off Pylos in southwestern Greece. The overcrowded boat left Tobruk in Libya and was heading to Italy. It capsized, with 104 people being rescued, with another 81 bodies collected from the sea.

The court said it was not in its jurisdiction to try the case, as a prior decision had determined the shipwreck occurred in international waters. Therefore, the court decided to end the criminal prosecution of the 9 Egyptians on charges of forming a criminal organization and causing a shipwreck.

According to the Egyptians’ defence lawyers – who had filed a declaration challenging the court as having no jurisdiction to try the case – the court also cleared the 9 of charges of human trafficking and illegal entry into Greece.

During the court case, supporters of the defendants outside the court created tension, resulting in police rounding up three of them, releasing them later, while a fourth one was sent to hospital.

Source: ANA – MPA

PM Mitsotakis to North Macedonia: European path to remain shut if challenges to Prespa Agreement continue