Deadly Boat Accident in the Mediterranean: Smuggler Convicted in Vienna

In connection with a catastrophic smuggling trip in which hundreds of refugees drowned in the Mediterranean, a 27-year-old Syrian was sentenced to 34 months of unconditional imprisonment on Friday at the Vienna Regional Court. According to a jury, he was involved in the smuggling of five people who were on board the fishing boat. The court credited him with not knowing about the life-threatening circumstances.

The agonizing death of the drowned was also not attributed to the 27-year-old. However, the court had no doubt that the man was involved in the organization of the deadly smuggling trip and had contact with compatriots who had paid for their relatives' passage from Libya to Europe. Additionally, he was involved in two other smuggling operations. The sentence imposed on him is not final. While defense attorney Wissam Barbar accepted the verdict, the prosecutor initially made no statement.

A second Syrian co-defendant could not be proven to have been involved in the deadly smuggling trip. The 29-year-old, represented by defense attorney Peter Philipp, was acquitted of the central charge. For five other charges, he received - not final - eight months suspended.

Catastrophe from June 2023 Subject of Proceedings

The main subject of the trial was a tragedy that occurred in the summer of 2023 in the Mediterranean. 750 people were on a fishing boat that had set off from Libya and sank off the Greek coast on June 14, 2023. Only 104 of the passengers survived the disaster. The survivors were exclusively men. All the women and children on board are believed to have drowned in the water. Only 79 bodies could be recovered by the Greek coast guard.

The two defendants are said to have belonged to a transnational criminal organization aimed at enabling Syrian nationals to illegally enter the EU. Regarding the shipwreck, the younger man is said to have secured a place on the boat for five compatriots. For a young Syrian who wanted to travel from Lebanon via Libya to Europe, his uncle living in Vienna had paid 21,000 euros. The money is said to have been forwarded to higher-ranking members of the criminal organization.

Smuggled "Put in Agonizing Condition"

According to the indictment, the smuggled were "put in an agonizing condition for a long time during the transport." Before boarding, the people were housed for several days in a barn in the Libyan desert, where there was neither food nor water. On the fishing boat, there was reportedly neither water nor food during the days-long crossing. The refugees also could not sleep, "as they had to balance the boat for steering maneuvers with their own body weight due to the lack of a rudder," according to the indictment.

Ultimately, the boat, completely overcrowded with people, capsized. Of the five people for whose fate the 27-year-old, found guilty in the first instance, was partly responsible, one survived.

(APA/Red)

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