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The circumstances of the sinking of the Adriana in June remain a
source of dispute between the Greek authorities and groups
supporting the rights of survivors and migrants - meaning the
trial could be the first opportunity to officially hear the
accounts of some of those present at the time.
Survivors have accused the Greek coastguard of capsizing the
boat. The authorities, which monitored Adriana for hours, say it
overturned when a coastguard vessel was about 70 meters away.
The coastguard service has denied any wrongdoing.
It remains unclear what happened in the time between the
coastguard being alerted to the presence of the vessel and when
it capsized.
In a report in December, EU border agency Frontex - which had
spotted the boat from the air before the coastguard - said that
Greek authorities failed to reply to its follow-up calls and its
offers for assistance. It said it could not conclude what caused
the Adriana to capsize.
The overcrowded fishing trawler was carrying hundreds of
migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt when it sank off the
southern town of Pylos, in international waters, on its way from
Libya to Italy. Some 104 men survived and only 82 bodies have
been recovered.
It was the worst disaster in years and again highlighted the
dangers for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
The nine Egyptian men, in pre-trial detention since June, have
been charged with causing the incident, participating in a
criminal organization, migrant smuggling and other charges, one
of the sources told Reuters. They have denied any wrongdoing.
The trial is set to begin on May 21 in Kalamata.
Rights groups have opposed their detention.
"These survivors deserve support, not persecution. It's time to
drop the charges," said NGO Legal Centre Lesvos.
Last year survivors recounted how a doomed attempt by the Greek
coastguard to tow the trawler capsized the vessel. Their
statements contradict the accounts of the Greek government and
the coastguard, which said the boat had refused assistance.
In September, 40 survivors filed a lawsuit against Greek
authorities accusing them of failing to intervene to rescue
those on board and causing the vessel to capsize.
(Editing by Alison Williams)
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