Three Egyptians accused of ‘aiding and abetting illegal entry’ acquitted

Three Egyptians accused of ‘aiding and abetting illegal entry’ by the Greek authorities have been acquitted after spending 12 months in prison.

According to Seebrüecke International: “On 6 September 2024, three Egyptian men, S.M., E.A. and B.A., were acquitted on Crete, accused of ‘aiding and abetting illegal entry’ and each facing a prison sentence of up to 205 years.

“The Greek authorities had ‘identified’ them as smugglers and arrested them solely because they were of a different nationality to the other boat passengers and because they spoke Arabic.”

Two witnesses, Seebrüecke International said testified to the men’s innocence and confirmed that they were passengers and not smugglers. S.M. himself explained that he was simply looking for a better future and wanted to join family members in Italy, driven by the extreme poverty in Egypt.

“The prosecution nevertheless pleaded guilty, but the judge acquitted all three defendants.”

Although this acquittal is a victory, Seebrüecke International said it should not be forgotten that S.M., E.A. and B.A. were innocently imprisoned for 12 months. “Their release is a great relief. Solidarity wins! This criminalisation is systematic, as organisations such as @BorderlineEurop repeatedly point out. Many people on the move are unjustly imprisoned, charged on arbitrary grounds and sentenced to long prison terms.”

As an organization, Seebrüecke International said it stands in solidarity with the people who are criminalised for their flight and demand an end to the criminalisation of flight and solidarity!