On December 28, 2023, Abdelhafiz O., a father of two from Egypt, set sail from Tobrouk, Libya, along with 69 other people. Despite passengers testifying that Abdelhafiz O. was merely steering the boat and was just another passenger forced to take the same dangerous journey, Greek authorities have charged him with human smuggling. He now faces accusations of being responsible for the perilous trip, with a possible sentence of 1020 years in prison. Friday, February 7, 2025, the trial of Abdelhafiz O. ended in a shocking verdict: the father of two was sentenced to 36 years and 8 months in prison. This outcome disregards the testimony of passengers who confirmed that Abdelhafiz was merely steering the boat out of necessity, not as a smuggler, when life was on the edge of death.
