The suspected smugglers of scores of migrants who drowned in a Mediterranean Sea shipwreck last week are expected to face manslaughter charges in a Greek court this week, while Pakistan detained a dozen suspects over the disaster.
Greece recovered three more bodies yesterday, bringing the confirmed toll to 81, after a fishing boat packed with hundreds of migrants sank off its south-west coast in a journey which started from Libya and was supposed to end in Italy.
Only 104 people are known to have survived.
Lawyers for nine suspected smugglers held by Greece, all from Egypt, sought and were granted a postponement of their arraignment hearing to this morning, the semi-official Athens News Agency said.
One of the lawyers said his client denied he was a smuggler, saying he was instead a victim who had paid to be taken to Italy.
“He left his country looking for a better life in Europe because of economic difficulties,” said the lawyer, Athanasios Iliopoulos.
Greece was still scouring the sea, though the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil. The boat sank in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean.
The victims are thought to be from Syria, Pakistan and Egypt. Hundreds more are feared dead.
Greece has come under increasing scrutiny over its response to the disaster, which occurred even though the boat had been shadowed by its coastguard for several hours.
Pakistan declared a national day of mourning yesterday, after counting at least 21 victims from the Koti district in the Pakistan-administered area of the Himalayan Kashmir region. It said an initial investigation suggested the boat was carrying around 800 people.
Other estimates have said at least 400 people were aboard.
Fourteen people in Pakistan have been arrested on suspicion of alleged trafficking.
The boat is thought to have set off with passengers from the Libyan coastal city of Tobruk on June 10.
Greek authorities say the vessel, which they had monitored for about 15 hours after being alerted by Italy, flipped and capsized about 25 minutes after its engine stalled in the early hours of June 14.
Authorities said the vessel repeatedly refused Greek help, saying it wanted to go to Italy.
Alarm Phone, an advocacy group that was in communication with the vessel, said that on at least two occasions people on board pleaded for help.
&uuid=(email))