Kheiraldin, Abdallah and Mohamad: #Paros3 sentenced to a total of 439 years for steering the boat
Trial report by Christina Karvouni, Aegean Migrant Solidarity and Julia Winkler, borderline-europe
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On 05 May, the trial against the #Paros3 took place on the Greek island of Syros. Although both the prosecution and the judges acknowledged that the three defendants were not the smugglers or had acted for profit, nor were they to blame for the 18 people who lost their lives, the three fathers were nevertheless convicted of "facilitating unauthorised entry", resulting in a sentence of 187 years for the "captain" and 126 years for each of the two "assistants".
After the tragic shipwreck on Christmas Eve 2021 near the Greek island of Paros, 39-year-old Kheiraldin A. and 32-year-old Abdallah J. and Mohamad B. were arrested as smugglers for piloting the boat (Read more). They had been imprisoned in Chios prison since and not seen any of their family members.
When family members, supporters and trial observers entered the courtroom on 05 May, the three accused were sitting handcuffed to each other in the back of the hall. Only two family members, the brother of Kheiraldin and the uncle of Mohamad, had the necessary papers and the financial means to travel to Greece and attend. The day before, they were only allowed to visit them for ten minutes and were forbidden to talk to their families on the phone. When the trial started, the three accused were called forward one by one. The trial began at 9.45 a.m., only to be paused again immediately because neither the only witness for the prosecution, a port police officer, nor an interpreter for the defendants was present. The court considered adjourning the trial, but decided against it and requested a translator.
After the translator arrived and the trial resumed at around 10.30 a.m., the defendants' lawyers requested that the charges against their clients be amended. Not only were they charged with “facilitating unauthorised entry” because they had piloted the boat, but also with “criminal association” and “causing a shipwreck” and thus being responsible for the death of 18 people. Consequently, they faced the incredible sentence of 18 times life imprisonment. The defence demanded that the charges of criminal association and causing a shipwreck be dropped and the main charge of “facilitating unauthorised entry” to be converted from a felony to a misdemeanor. They stressed that there is no evidence whatsoever that the three organised the journey and had acted for profit. Quite on the contrary, they had been forced into this position because of their financial situation.
Six testimonies of other passengers on the boat were read out in which they had testified that it was not the three accused but others who had organised the trip and received the money from them. In addition, the lawyers pointed out that the nicknames of the smugglers mentioned in the passengers' testimonies also appeared in other trial.
After that, the two family members who had been able to travel to Greece and attend the trial of their brother and nephew were heard. They reported on the difficult living conditions for Syrians in Turkey, the individual stories of the defendants and the great financial difficulties they face.
The third witness for the defense, a sea rescuer who testified based on his experience, confirmed that it is common practice that the refugees have to steer the boat themselves, as those who actually make money from it do not drive them as they neither want to be arrested nor risk their lives. He also said that in the last two years in particular, there has been a huge increase in the number of particularly dangerous trips from Turkey to Italy.
The three accused stated in their testimonies that they had only agreed to pilot the boat because they could not pay the 7,000 to 10,000 euros that the trip cost. All three had hoped to escape the deteriorating living conditions for them and their children in Turkey and the increasing threat of deportation to Syria, a country from which they had fled massacres and recruitment for the army. Kheiraldin in particular decided to risk his life for his daughter, who needs urgent medical treatment that she cannot receive in Turkey. They also testified that before the trip they were held for days in a house with bars, guarded by armed persons. When they saw the condition of the boat and the number of people on board, they refused to steer it, but were forced with threats against them and their families.
In his closing argument, the prosecutor stated that, according to the law, the three defendants must be found guilty of “facilitating the unauthorised entry of third-country nationals with a risk to human life”. However, to everyone's surprise, he himself stressed that the law itself is problematic, as it does not take into account cases such as that of the defendants, who are forced to take themselves and others to other countries and did not act for profit. He therefore stated that he would recognise mitigating circumstances and recommended that the accused be acquitted of the charges of “causing shipwreck” and “criminal association”. The judges ruled accordingly. The recognition of mitigating circumstances, no base motives and previous lawful living saved the defendants from the life sentences. It is rare in cases involving loss of life during a shipwreck to see such charges dropped. By avoiding the life sentences the defendants will have a higher chance of reducing their sentence at the appeal stage.
Kheiraldin was sentenced to 187 years as the “captain” and Mohamad and Abdallah to 126 years as the “assistants”. These sentences were set for the "captain" as: 10 years basic sentence for the felony and 3 years extra for each person on board the boat (59 persons). Therefore 10+3x59 = 187 years. For the two "assistants" the sentence was defined as: 8 years as a basic sentence for the felony and 2 years for each person on board the boat (59 persons). Thus 8+2x59 = 126 years.
They have appealed the decision.
On the same day, Mohamad learned that his father had been executed by Assad’s forces. “Mohamad does not know what he should think about now, his father or his kids”, comments Abdulsalam B., his uncle. When the family members visited the three after the trial, they were not allowed to touch or hug them. Abdallah’s mother in Syria, who was on the phone, was not allowed to speak to her son.
Abdallah, Kheiraldin and Mohamad have been transferred back to Chios prison. There, they cannot be visited by their children or wives as they live in Turkey and Syria and are not allowed to travel to Greece.
Osama Al Sahili, brother of Kheiraldin: “My brother had tried three times to reach Greece by land, but he was pushed back each time. So he finally decided to take a boat and risk his own life to save his daughter. There are many victims like Kheiraldin. The real smugglers never go on the boat. Europe needs to open the door for refugees so they don't have to be smuggled.”
Abdulsalam Bayassi, uncle of Mohamad: “This was not a fair trial. They convicted the victims. Mohamad's wife almost fainted when she heard the news. Who will now support their families? The court also convicted the families."
Christina Karvouni, Aegean Migrant Solidarity: “Although this trial had some positive elements that are not found in other similar cases, such as the recognition that the accused are also victims of the charges against them, the problem is in the law itself. As it is yet another law that criminalizes migration with huge penalties and leaves those who profit from the pain and the need of migrants unchallenged. Τhis law must be changed immediately, as it continues to destroy the lives of people who are innocent.”
Julia Winkler, borderline-europe: “Three refugees are sentenced to over 100 years in prison, even though the defence, prosecution and judges all agree that all they did was steer a boat with other refugees. This trial makes it particularly clear that the problem is not abuse or misinterpretation of the law, but the law itself, and that it was made precisely to criminalise those it claims to protect - people who migrate.”
Sascha Girke, Iuventa: “While we, the iuventa crew and all other European sea rescuers, get a lot of attention and support when we are criminalised for our interventions, it is everyday practice at European courts and hardly worth a headline when people on the move are sent to prison for many years just because they steered a boat with which they brought themselves and others to Europe. This legalised injustice must, like the criminalisation of solidarity, become a focus of political struggle.”
Dimitris Choulis, lawyer of the Paros3: “Having your (innocent) clients convicted in a total of 439 years in prison and consider it a win! This is the madness of the draconian laws of fortress Europe. Even if they have the best intentions, courts will continue sentencing innocent people to thousands of years until the law changes. Fortress Europe causes death and imprisonment to the most vulnerable. We need a change of legislation. Seeking asylum is not a crime.”
Aegean Migrant Solidarity, borderline-europe, Can’t Evict Solidarity and the Iuventa-Crew will continue to support Kheiraldin, Mohamad and Abdallah and their families in their appeal trial and in the meantime.
We demand their immediate release from prison, freedom for all those arrested for boat driving and an end to the criminalization of migration and incarceration of people on the move!
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The three fathers had tried to reach Italy directly in order to avoid Greek territory and thus violent and illegal push-backs οr to avoid being trapped on the Greek islands. Unable to pay for the particularly expensive trip, the three men agreed to pilot the boat with about 80 other people in return for a cheaper fare. Close to the Greek island of Paros, the boat capsized, leading to the death of 18 people. Instead of receiving psychological care after this traumatic experience, Kheiraldin, Abdallah and Mohamad were arrested.
Background info:
- borderline-europe: Three Syrian refugees face 18 life sentences because they steered the boat
- Quantara: Draconian punishments for boat people
- Jacobin: Throughout Europe, New Laws Are Criminalizing Desperate Refugees
- Infomigrants: Grèce : 439 ans de prison pour trois survivants d'un naufrage accusés d'être des passeurs
- AfroPlanete.com: 439 ans de prison pour trois survivants d’un naufrage accusés d’être des passeurs
- The New Arab: The case of the Paros 3: How Greece is criminalising asylum seekers
- Kathrimerini: Οι αναλώσιμοι «τιμονιέρηδες»
- nd: 18 Mal lebenslänglich
More info:
- Aegean Migrant Solidariy, borderline-europe and Deportation Monitoring Aegean: Incarcerating the Marginalised - The Fight Against Alleged "Smugglers" on the Greek Hotspot Islands
Monday, 08 May 2022
© Photo borderline-europe
