A Greek court dropped charges against nine Egyptian men who allegedly caused a shipwreck that killed hundreds of migrants last year.
The fishing boat the Adriana, traveling from Libya, included up to 700 Pakistani, Syrian and Egyptian migrants who were destined for Italy. The boat capsized off the coast of Greece on June 14. With only 104 survivors and 82 bodies found, the Adriana’s case is one of the deadliest boat accidents found in the Mediterranean Sea.
The reason for the trawler’s wreck remains unclear. Survivors say that an attempt to tow the boat by the Greek coast guard caused the capsize. Both the defendant’s lawyers and human rights groups have argued that the coast guard should be investigated further. The coast guard has claimed that those on board the Adriana did not accept help and that the coast guard did not have a role in the capsize.
The defendants were accused of migrant smuggling, causing a shipwreck and being involved in a criminal organization. They spent 11 months in detention before the trial.
At the trial, the defendants claimed that they did not participate in wrongdoing and their lawyers argued that the defendants were simply aiding migrants. The case was dropped within a few hours by Presiding Judge Eftichia Kontaratou. Public prosecutor Ekaterini Tsiron encouraged the dismissal since the boat capsized outside the territorial waters of Greece. It is not yet clear if another court will hear the case.
The judge’s decision on Tuesday was met with celebrations by some.
"Nine innocent men are walking free. Finally, after a huge struggle and pain, justice has been served," said Spyros Pantazis, one of the defendant’s lawyers, to Reuters.
"I'm so happy that I just want to hug him and take him with me,” said Dalia Abdel-Magid, the aunt of defendant Mohammed Emad Abdel-Magid.
