On the 10th of March 2025, LCL’s client A.B. has been acquitted of all charges against him. A.B. was accused of smuggling and illegal entry. Despite a video showing him as a passenger and not a driver, he had to wait five years for the trial to happen. Five years in which he had a potential sentence of over 60 years in prison looming over him.
We are relieved by today’s outcome and will continue fighting for all the other persons accused of smuggling.
Today, the court issued a fair judgement. One that should have come 5 years ago. Thank you to the lawyers at Legal Centre Lesvos for standing with me all these years.
— A.B. following his acquittal
Particularly striking today was the testimony of the coastguard witness, who suddenly ‘remembered’ being on the beach and said that he saw our client driving the migrant boat – a detail that was noticeably absent from his previous three statements he had made to the police and investigating judge. Fortunately, the court saw through his lies.
— Vicky Aggelidou, lawyer of A.B.
Besides our own case, we observed two other “boat driver” cases tried in Mytilene Court today. The two defendants were convicted and sentenced to 101 and 126 years in prison and fines of 840,000€ and 550.500€, respectively. These convictions are a stark reminder that today’s acquittal is the exception rather than the rule!
The systematic criminalization of migration in Greece must end!
Here is the full history of the case of A.B.:
| March 2020 | Arrival in Greece |
| March 2021 | Preliminary hearing of A.B. and release from pre-trial detention |
| 01 December 2022, first instance trial – postponed | Iraqi asylum seeker facing more than 60 years for “boat driving” despite video proving otherwise |
| 03 May 2023, first instance trial – postponed | On 08 May 2023, after almost 3 years of waiting, the smuggling trial of A.B. is scheduled to take place in Mytilene |
| September 2024, first instance trial – postponed | Trial postponed again to 10 March 2025 due to a lawyers’ trike. |
| 10 March 2025 | First instance trial: A.B. is acquitted of all criminal charges |