Greek court drops charges against men blamed for shipwreck deaths

English Español Français العربية Русский

RSS Newsletters

Radio TV

LANGUAGE
English Español Français العربية Русский Documentary CCTV+

Radio TV

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

Survivors of the deadly migrant shipwreck, Zahid Akbar, 21, and Inzimam Maqbool, 22, from Pakistan, along with supporters participate in a protest calling for justice. /Louisa Gouliamaki/Reuters

Charges were dropped on Tuesday against nine Egyptian men accused of causing one of the Mediterranean's deadliest shipwrecks off Greece last year. Their acquittal came after a Greek court said it had no jurisdiction to hear the case because the disaster occurred in international waters.

Up to 700 migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt boarded a fishing trawler in Libya that was bound for Italy before sinking off the coast of Pylos, in southwestern Greece, on June 14.

Some 104 survivors were rescued and only 82 bodies were recovered.

The men, aged between 21 and 41, were arrested hours after the boat sank and have remained in pre-trial detention since on charges of migrant smuggling, causing a shipwreck and participating in a criminal organization.

They have denied any wrongdoing.

"This is a great victory for human rights in Greece," Spyros Pantazis, one of their lawyers, told Reuters. "Nine innocent men are walking free. Finally, after a huge struggle and pain, justice has been served."

Why an Austrian heiress wants to give away her $27.3m fortune

Words of wisdom: How to make the most delicious soup

International rights groups, defense lawyers and witnesses had disputed that the men were to blame. Many claimed that the coastguard was at fault, which it denies.

Before the announcement that charges had been dropped, supporters of the defendants had briefly scuffled with police outside the court.

Survivors told reporters last year that a disastrous attempt by the coastguard to tow the boat caused it to capsize in some of the deepest waters in the Mediterranean.