A four-year prison sentence was handed down by a district court in Alicante to a 38-year-old Algerian man who was detained by the National Police last year. He was travelling with ten other migrants on a boat and was identified as the vessel’s captain. The court determined that he endangered the lives of those aboard during the crossing from Algeria to the province of Alicante, where the vessel was eventually rescued about half a mile from Santa Pola.
The defendant remained in custody after his arrest and was brought before the Alicante court in October of the previous year. He was found guilty of intentional murder and of facilitating illegal immigration, offenses that risk the lives and wellbeing of people affected by illegal entry into Spain and the European Union.
The defendant claimed that others operated the boat and that he was merely a passenger, unlike several other captains who admitted guilt in recent Alicante proceedings and faced two-year prison terms.
Nevertheless, the Second Part of the Trial Court held that the defendant was indeed in charge, stressing the seriousness and the strength of the protected witness statement presented in court. The location for the oral hearing could not be determined, but the witness statement was included in the evidence prepared for the case.
Approximately 7,000 deaths at sea
During his testimony, the witness described the perilous voyage. The court characterized the crossing as reckless and recalled that in 2023 a total of 6,518 people died at sea while attempting to reach the Spanish coast. The events established by the decision occurred on October 12 at roughly 16:30 when a Civil Guard patrol boat intercepted a boat carrying 11 undocumented migrants about half a mile from Santa Pola. Salvamento Marítimo then transported them to the port of Alicante.
The vessel was a seven-meter fiberglass boat with an outboard motor. It lacked shovels or proper rescue equipment. The court stated that the boat was not fit for a crossing from Algeria to Alicante. The journey covered about 198.73 nautical miles in a straight line, and the court noted that the voyage took place under difficult and dangerous conditions, increasing the risk to the lives and safety of the occupants, who did not have life jackets.
The migrants boarded the boat in Tipasa, Algeria, at around 07:30 on October 11, 2023, and paid for the trip in Algerian currency, with amounts ranging from 1,300 to 1,700 euros.
According to the court, there is no doubt that the defendant was in control of the boat for the entire journey from Algiers to the Alicante coast and did not possess a navigation license. The ruling notes that the risk to those aboard grew as conditions worsened. It states that the photos and videos presented by the defense reflect the crowded and perilous state of the passengers and the lack of any safety equipment.
The decision also cites the supported testimony of the protected witness, reinforced by the statements of National Police officers who prepared the report. One officer stated that the protected witness felt betrayed and frightened by the experience, which helped identify the person in charge.
Likewise, a Civil Guard officer involved in the rescue described the absence of life jackets on the ship, despite the defendant’s claim that some were present and that the boss and two others wore blue hats. The verdict notes that footage provided by the defense shows the defendant wearing a conspicuous blue hat.