LESBOS, Greece (AP) – A Somali migrant serving life in jail for individuals smuggling, appeared in courtroom on Monday to enchantment his sentence, in a case backed by a bunch of MEPs who say he was wrongly convicted.
Mohammed Hanad Abdi was sentenced to 142 years in jail in 2021 after being sentenced the earlier yr after a deadly crossing in a dinghy from Turkey to the close by Greek island of Lesvos.
Abdi mentioned he solely steered the dinghy after it was deserted by a Turkish smuggler through the crossing. Two individuals drowned because the ship took on water whereas 33 others have been rescued. In keeping with Abdi’s attorneys, lots of the survivors supported the Somali’s account of the occasions.
The case has drawn consideration to draconian sentencing insurance policies in Greece, which have been launched lately as a part of efforts to deal with unlawful immigration into the European Union.
A left-wing Greek MEP, Stelios Kouloglou, is main the marketing campaign to have lots of the convictions reviewed, an effort backed by different European lawmakers in addition to Greek performing artists who’ve helped elevate cash for authorized charges.
Final month, two Afghan males, Akif Razouli and Amir Zahiri, who had been sentenced to 50 years in jail, have been launched on enchantment. Razouli was acquitted whereas Zahiri was launched after his sentence was lowered to eight years.
“Worldwide solidarity is important for these refugees who’re victims of this unjust apply by the Greek authorities to condemn harmless individuals to extreme penalties,” Kouloglou mentioned in an internet publish forward of the trial.
Fifteen MEPs have backed his marketing campaign and signed letters of criticism to the Greek authorities.
The nation’s centre-right authorities has described its migration coverage as “powerful however honest” and argues that harsh sentencing of smugglers is a key aspect of the nation’s border safety coverage.
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