An Algerian migrant arrested last October in Alicante faced a courtroom hearing with eleven people present. Prosecutors alleged that he acted as the captain of a migrant boat and that he placed the lives of others at risk during the dangerous crossing off the Santa Pola coast. The defendant repeatedly denied the claim of being the boat’s pilot and insisted that four other individuals were responsible for steering the vessel. Despite his denials, the prosecutors pressed for an initial five-year prison sentence on charges tied to violations of the rights of foreign nationals and the management of a boat used for illegal immigration. His lawyer, José Soler Martín, argued for acquittal and challenged the basis of the prosecution’s key witness, who was another immigrant aboard the vessel and could have had personal motives as one of the boat’s organizers. The witness protection status of that individual was noted, but the witness was not present at the hearing to testify.
The coast guard located the boat on 12 October. Eleven migrants, who had paid between 1,300 and 1,700 euros each, were rescued from the drifting craft about half a mile from the Santa Pola coast and were brought to the port of Alicante for sea rescue operations. The prosecutor’s office stated that the defendant endangered the safety of everyone on board during the voyage.
During the proceedings, the authorities identified the accused by one of the migrants. The group reported that they had departed from Tipasa in Algeria and were anxious about an approaching merchant vessel. They said they had to deploy a flare to prevent a collision. Although the protected witness was named, the individual did not attend the hearing. In the Alicante Court’s Second Chamber, the defendant proclaimed his innocence, asserting that his location during the crossing could not be proven and claiming that he was not the boat’s captain since he lived far from the sea.
The defense also presented photographs and documents at the oral hearing, including videos uploaded to social media by other travelers on the boat. In those clips, the defendant appears among the passengers. According to the defendant, he paid 1,500 euros and said that four other migrants were responsible for operating the vessel and adding fuel for the journey.
life vest
In another point of testimony, the defendant stated that he wore a life jacket because he cannot swim. A civilian security officer who participated in the rescue reported that none of the people aboard the boat were seen wearing a life vest.
When questioned by his lawyer, the defendant alleged that during the voyage he was confronted by a person who was supposed to be a protected witness. That individual allegedly reprimanded him for eating too much food and drinking excessive water while still hours away from reaching land.
A police official from the Unified Critical Response and Investigation Unit stated during the hearing that the protected witness had clearly identified the detainee as the boat’s organizer and claimed that the migrants often follow orders from organized crime networks, which coordinate the operation and, if caught, offer information to the police about how the boat is run. The officer added that such operations typically involve a network of mafias guiding the crew and that those involved may declare joint responsibility to avoid individual blame.