ATHENS: Nine Egyptian men have entered pleas of not guilty after being accused of causing a disaster last week when a vessel carrying hundreds of people sank off the Greek coast. The suspects, ranging in age from 20 to 40, face charges related to people-smuggling and other offenses.
According to a lawyer representing one of the accused, his client maintains that he was a passenger on the vessel and not involved in smuggling activities. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least 78 migrants, with fears that many more may have drowned. The United Nations’ human rights office has reported that approximately 500 individuals remain missing.
Recent evidence obtained by the BBC raises questions about the account provided by the Greek coastguard regarding the shipwreck. Analysis of the movements of nearby ships suggests that the overcrowded fishing vessel had been stationary for at least seven hours prior to capsizing. However, Greek officials continue to assert that during this period, the boat was on course for Italy and did not require rescue. The BBC’s findings cast doubt on this claim.
The nine suspects appeared at the Kalamata Court on Monday, where they faced charges of negligent manslaughter, endangering lives, causing a shipwreck, and human trafficking. Outside the court, Alexandros Dimaresis, a lawyer representing one of the accused, maintained his client’s innocence, stating that he had paid smugglers to be transported to Europe and was not involved in smuggling activities himself.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday, at which point a decision will be made regarding their continued detention until the start of the trial. In a separate development, Pakistani authorities have arrested 14 individuals in connection with the alleged trafficking of migrants who drowned in the same incident. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office has announced a high-level inquiry into the suspected human trafficking network. Police have revealed that at least 21 of the missing individuals hailed from the Kotli district in Pakistan’s part of the Himalayan Kashmir region, and two of the survivors were also from the same town.
The role of the Greek coastguard has faced increasing scrutiny since the fishing boat, carrying up to 750 people, sank 50 nautical miles off Pylos in southern Greece. In response, the United Nations has called for an investigation into Greece’s handling of the disaster, amid assertions that more decisive action should have been taken earlier to launch a comprehensive rescue operation.
