Two injured, two arrested in clashes outside court hearing Pylos shipwreck case
Police in Kalamata clashed with protesters on Tuesday morning outside the southwestern Peloponnesian city’s courthouse where nine Egyptian nationals are standing trial over the deadly migrant shipwreck off the coast of nearby Pylos in June 2023.
Two protesters were injured and another two were arrested in the clashes between police and activists with the communist-affiliated PAME union, who held a rally outside the courthouse to protest the fishermen’s innocence.
It is estimated that over 700 migrants were on board the dilapidated vessel when it sank off the coast of Pylos; only 104 were rescued and 81 bodies were recovered.
The indictment against the nine Egyptians alleges that they took turns navigating the overcrowded vessel and managing passengers. They protest their innocence, citing improper identification procedures.
