Outside the courthouse, a small group of protesters clashed with riot police as the proceedings got underway. The protesters could be heard inside the packed courtroom as presiding judge Eftichia Kontaratou read out the names of the nine defendants. Defense lawyer Spyros Pantazis earlier asked the court to declare itself incompetent to try the case, arguing that the sinking occurred outside Greek territorial waters. Lawyers from Greek human rights groups are representing the nine Egyptians, who deny the smuggling charges. Authorities say the defendants were identified by other survivors and the indictments are based on their testimonies.

Source: Libya Today May 21, 2024 09:48 UTC