Italian Court Sentences Three Over Deadly Migrant Shipwreck

An Italian court has sentenced three individuals, two Pakistani and one Turkish, to up to 16 years in prison for their role in a migrant shipwreck near Cutro, Calabria, last year. The incident resulted in at least 94 deaths. The case adds pressure on officials over alleged preventive failures.

An Italian court on Tuesday handed down prison sentences of up to 16 years to three individuals found guilty in connection with a tragic migrant shipwreck that claimed at least 94 lives off the coast of Cutro, Calabria, last year. The defendants, two Pakistani nationals and one Turkish, were convicted for their roles in aiding illegal immigration that led to the migrants' deaths.

The wooden sailboat had been carrying dozens of people when it smashed against rocks in the nighttime disaster on February 26, 2023. While the court cleared the defendants of negligent shipwreck charges, Italian law allows for at least two more appeals in the legal process.

The case has sparked broader investigations, with prosecutors in Crotone examining possible negligence by police and coastguard officers. Meanwhile, the government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has strengthened penalties for human trafficking, although it expressed dissatisfaction with probes involving the coastguard and police.

(With inputs from agencies.)