An Ansa news agency report stated Italian President Sergio Mattarella issued a presidential pardon. The pardon was issued last week. It included Libyan citizen Alaa Faraj Abdul Karim.
According to the report, Abdul Karim arrived in Europe in 2015. He was about 20 years old. He hoped to become a professional football player. Later, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This followed his conviction in a human trafficking case. He was also found guilty of violating immigration laws. This case stemmed from the deaths of 49 migrants. They suffocated aboard an overcrowded boat on August 14, 2015. Meanwhile, 313 other people survived.
Abdul Karim’s lawyers argued he was not a migrant smuggler. They claimed he found himself in an extremely complex situation. However, the defense arguments did not alter the case’s outcome. The report also detailed Abdul Karim’s statement. He said he paid 1,000 euros to smugglers near Tripoli. This was for his and two friends’ passage across the Mediterranean. The boat reportedly broke down hours after sailing. The tragedy occurred due to engine fumes reaching passengers inside the boat.
A Norwegian vessel later found the boat. It discovered the bodies of the victims and the survivors. The boat was about 220 kilometers south of Lampedusa Island. This location is near the Libyan coast. Investigators initially questioned Abdul Karim as a witness. He and his two friends were later included in the official investigation. In the subsequent two years, he and his companions were sentenced. They received 30-year prison terms. The Court of Appeal upheld this verdict in 2020. The Court of Cassation also affirmed the ruling.