A Cypriot court has sentenced a 47-year-old Syrian man to three years in prison for negligence leading to the death of a three-year-old girl aboard a migrant boat from Lebanon, authorities announced on Friday.
The young victim, who was traveling with her mother, succumbed to dehydration a day after being airlifted to a hospital in Nicosia © Mena Today
A Cypriot court has sentenced a 47-year-old Syrian man to three years in prison for negligence leading to the death of a three-year-old girl aboard a migrant boat from Lebanon, authorities announced on Friday.
According to a statement from the public prosecutor’s office, the Famagusta Criminal Court (eastern Cyprus) delivered its verdict on Thursday, finding the man guilty of failing to ensure the safety of passengers during the perilous journey.
The young victim, who was traveling with her mother, succumbed to dehydration a day after being airlifted to a hospital in Nicosia.
The child was among 60 Syrians in distress, stranded aboard an overcrowded wooden boat that was rescued on January 24 off the coast of Cyprus. The prosecutor’s office, which did not disclose the identities of the accused or the victim, stated that the convicted man had assumed the role of captain for the group of migrants.
Under Cypriot law, the maximum sentence for causing death by negligence is four years in prison.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the accused lacked the necessary qualifications to navigate such a journey. The overloaded boat did not meet basic technical and structural standards, and he failed to take the necessary precautions to ensure passenger safety.
The migrant boat departed from Lebanon on January 18, covering a distance of approximately 168 kilometers before it was eventually rescued. However, the journey turned into a nightmare when the boat’s engine broke down, leaving it adrift for six days in rough seas with no direction, food, or drinking water.
Among the passengers were 15 children, including five unaccompanied minors.
Cyprus, which has repeatedly stated that it receives the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in the European Union, has reported a significant drop in migrant arrivals in recent months.
While the country remains a crucial entry point for migrants fleeing conflict and hardship, Cypriot authorities continue to implement strict border control measures and cooperation agreements with neighboring countries to curb irregular migration.
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