EU parliament intervene case of Somali man fighting life imprisonment

AP photo

LESBOS - Legislators from the European Union [EU] parliament have supported a Somali man facing a life sentence in Greece, with the lawmakers insisting that the victim was illegally convicted by authorities in the European country, which is home to many immigrants.

In 2021, Mohammad Hanad Abdi was sentenced to 142 years for allegedly crossing over in a dinghy from Turkey to the nearby Greek island of Lesbos the previous year. Greece is battling to control the influx of illegal immigrants to the country.

During the trial, Abdi insisted that he only steered the dinghy after it had been abandoned by a Turkish smuggler when crossing over. As they crossed over, two people drowned while 33 others were rescued, accounts supported by many survivors who vindicated him.

The lawmakers had been brought to attention over draconian sentencing guidelines in Greece introduced in recent years as part of an effort to fight illegal migration into the European Union. Most of the immigrants cross from North Africa to Europe, with a number risking their lives along the Mediterranean Sea.

Stelios Kouloglou, a leftist lawmaker from Greece in the European Union parliament, is pushing for the re-examination of many convictions which he insists are wrongful. In December 2022, Akif Razouli and Amir Zahiri from Afghanistan who was sentenced to 50 years in jail were released upon successful appeal.

“International solidarity is vital for these refugees, who are victims of this unjust practice by the Greek government to condemn innocent people with excessive sentences,” Kouloglou said in an online post before the trial.

Already, over 15 European Union parliament have supported the campaign to have Greece release several people who have been wrongly convicted. Greece's center-right government has described its migration policy as “strict but fair,” arguing that tough sentencing for smugglers is a key part of the country’s border defense policy, AP reports.

GAROWE ONLINE