Tugboat Trial in Vienna Postponed
The defendants are accused in the smuggling trial of organizing the smuggling of five people from Vienna, who were on a fishing boat. This boat had departed from Libya and sank on June 14, 2023, off the Greek coast. Only 104 of the 750 passengers survived the disaster. The survivors were exclusively men. All women and children on board are believed to have drowned in the water. Only 79 bodies could be recovered by the Greek coast guard.
Defendants in Smuggling Trial in Vienna Allegedly Belonged to Criminal Organization
The two Syrians, aged 27 and 29, are said to have belonged to a transnational criminal organization aimed at enabling Syrian nationals to illegally enter the EU. In relation to the shipwreck, they allegedly secured a place on the boat for five compatriots for a fee, receiving at least $7,150 per person and forwarding the money to higher-ranking members of the criminal organization.
According to the indictment, the five smuggled individuals were "put in a state of agony for an extended period during transportation." Before boarding, the people were reportedly kept for several days in a barn in the Libyan desert, where there was neither food nor water. On the fishing boat, there was allegedly neither water nor food during the days-long crossing. The refugees could not sleep either, "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.
Smuggling Trial in Vienna Adjourned for Additional Evidence Collection
Ultimately, the boat, completely overcrowded with people, capsized. Of the five people for whose fate the defendants are allegedly responsible, one survived. The two Syrians denied before a jury panel having anything to do with this catastrophe. The 27-year-old admitted to being involved in two other charges - including the smuggling of a five-member family to Europe at a "special price" of 4,000 euros. The 29-year-old pleaded "not guilty" in principle. The trial was adjourned for additional evidence collection. Next date: April 24. The defendants remain in custody until then.
(APA/Red)
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