Trial under way in Greece over Pylos shipwreck that killed more than 500
Al Jazeera
Rights groups argue the nine Egyptian defendants’ right to a fair trial has been compromised by ‘incomplete’ evidence.
Nine Egyptian men have gone on trial in southern Greece accused of causing the Pylos shipwreck last year that killed hundreds of migrants and refugees.
International human rights groups argue that their right to a fair trial is being compromised as they face judgement before an investigation is concluded into claims the Hellenic Coast Guard may have botched the rescue attempt.
On Tuesday, a small group of protesters clashed with riot police as the proceedings got under way at a court in Kalamata, southern Greece.
The defendants, most of whom are in their 20s, face up to life in prison if convicted on multiple criminal charges over the sinking of the Adriana fishing trawler on June 14, 2023.
As many as 750 people on board the trawler, which was travelling from Libya to Italy, and more than 550 people are believed to have died, according to rights groups and independent investigators.
