Greek Court Drops Charges Against Egyptian Men in 2023 Migrant Boat Disaster

Charges against nine Egyptian men accused of involvement in a 2023 migrant boat disaster off Greece were dropped. A Greek court ruled it lacked jurisdiction as the incident occurred in international waters. The men had been in pre-trial detention on charges of smuggling and causing a shipwreck.

Charges against nine Egyptian men accused over a 2023 migrant boat disaster off Greece were dropped on Tuesday, after a Greek court said it had no jurisdiction to hear the case as the shipwreck happened in international waters.

The men, aged between 21 and 41, were arrested hours after the boat sank and have remained in pre-trial detention since on charges of migrant smuggling, causing a shipwreck and participating in a criminal organisation. They have denied any wrongdoing.