Nearly a year after one of the deadliest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea, off southern Greece, a court in Kalamata dropped criminal charges on Tuesday against nine Egyptians charged in connection with the tragedy. The court deemed that Greece did not have the jurisdiction to try the case, as the trawler sank in international waters.
The decision was hailed as belated justice by lawyers for the defendants, who were on the trawler when it sank but were accused of smuggling and other crimes. However, the court did not rule on whether the Egyptian men were guilty or not — only that the case was not for Greece to decide.
The outlook for the case is now unclear, including where else it may be tried. A separate investigation by the naval court into the shipwreck and the actions of the Greek coast guard is continuing; the effect of Tuesday’s ruling on that inquiry is also undetermined.
The tragic incident occurred on June 14 when the rusty fishing trawler Adriana sank off the southern coast of Greece, en route to Italy from Libya. More than 700 people were believed to have been on board, with only 104 survivors, mostly men and boys from Syria, Egypt, and Pakistan. Survivors’ testimonies indicated that women and children were also on board but were unable to escape.
Despite recovery efforts, only 82 bodies were found, with the rest of the passengers never located due to the vessel sinking in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean.
The nine Egyptian men who survived the shipwreck were detained on charges of migrant smuggling, membership of a criminal organization, and causing a deadly shipwreck. They faced multiple life terms in prison if convicted.
The defense argued that the men were passengers and unfairly prosecuted, claiming Greece had no jurisdiction due to the shipwreck occurring in international waters. The court upheld this objection, setting a legal precedent for similar cases involving migrant shipwrecks.
While the court did not determine the men’s role in the shipwreck, the ruling was seen as a vindication by their lawyer. Prosecutors had alleged that the defendants were part of the crew and responsible for overcrowding and mistreating passengers.
The Greek coast guard’s handling of the situation has also come under scrutiny, with experts stating that assistance should have been provided regardless of the crew’s refusal. Some survivors accused the coast guard of causing the ship to capsize during a towing attempt, a claim denied by Greek authorities.
Rights organizations have raised concerns about the independence of investigations into the sinking, with worries about the outcome of the naval court’s inquiry following the jurisdiction ruling.
Protests outside the courthouse in Kalamata turned violent, with clashes between demonstrators criticizing European migration policies and riot police officers leaving two protesters injured.
The prosecutor indicated that jurisdiction over crimes at sea typically lies with the government associated with the ship’s flag, but since the Adriana did not have a flag, the location for a new trial remains uncertain.
