Shipwreck in Pylos: injuries, arrests. Trial of Egyptian citizens begins in southern Greece

Two people were injured and three arrested following clashes between protesters and police outside the courthouse in Kalamata, where the trial of nine Egyptian nationals from the migrant boat that sank off the coast of Pylos in June 2023 was beginning.

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Members of the communist party alliance PAME gathered early Tuesday outside the courthouse in the southern Peloponnese town to show their support for the accused. One of the victims was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he received three stitches to his head. Protesters continued to demand the release of their arrested colleagues, a local newspaper reported. tharos.gr.

Nine Egyptian citizens, survivors of the shipwreck, are accused of taking turns steering the crowded ship and directing the passengers. They claim their innocence, citing faulty identification procedures.

It is estimated that around 700 migrants were on board the ship when it sank off the coast of Pylos. Only 104 people were saved, and only 81 bodies were found. The trial began with defense lawyers questioning the jurisdiction of the court in Kalamata. Lawyers argued that the court did not have jurisdiction because the shipwreck occurred in international waters and the people on board were not trying to get to Greece, as evidenced by the ship's route.
The prosecutor argued that to resolve the issue of jurisdiction it was necessary to prove that some or all of the alleged criminal acts took place in Greek territorial waters (about 47 nautical miles from the Greek coast), namely: where the ship was located, where it was heading, whether it was sailing in international waters. The prosecutor practically asked that the trial continue in Kalamata until all issues were clarified.

Photo taken before the crash. Judging by the angle, it was taken with a smartphone from the coast guard ship ΛΣ 920, which was heading across a fishing trawler with supposedly 700 passengers on board.

Ultimately, the court in Kalamata abandoned the case, citing that the fatal shipwreck in Pylos occurred in international waters, so the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case. After 11 months of detention, 9 Egyptian defendants were released.

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