Irish man faces extradition to Greece on human trafficking charges
Ireland's Supreme Court has postponed its decision on the extradition of an Irish citizen to Greece due to concerns about detention conditions in Greek prisons.
Irish man faces extradition to Greece on human trafficking charges
Ireland's Supreme Court has postponed its decision on the extradition of a 56-year-old Irish man to Greece, seeking more information from Greek authorities about detention conditions after hearing that prisons there are effectively "run by inmates" due to overcrowding.
According to RTE.ie, Jeremiah O'Brien, from Rathkeale in Limerick, is accused of attempting to facilitate the trafficking of 66 people from the Middle East to Italy by speedboat. His lawyers argued that overcrowding in a Greek prison has been recorded at 164 per cent.
O'Brien and two other individuals are alleged to have acted together on 22 November 2017 to facilitate the transport of 66 people, without life jackets, from a remote area near Nafplio to Italy. Their boat was abandoned on a rocky shore near Gerolimenas.
The group of 66 people consisted of 30 men (24 from Iraq, 4 from Syria and 2 from Iran), 14 women (12 from Iraq, 1 from Syria and 1 from Iran) and 22 children. The passengers had each paid between 4,000 and 6,000 dollars for the journey.
The boat used was a recreational vessel with a capacity of 10 people, had no life jackets, and posed a risk of sinking due to overloading. The charges include the deliberate exposure of passengers to danger.
The defendant's lawyer, Simon Matthews, cited a 2022 report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, which described conditions as degraded due to overcrowding, lack of space, violence between inmates and a generally unsafe environment.
Prosecutor Brian Gageby acknowledged that the ratio of staff to inmates is so low that the prisons "operate essentially run by inmates". However, he emphasised that Greek authorities must respond to concerns about overcrowding and violence.
Judge Sean Gillane stated that there is a "deficit of information" from Greece and that the opportunity must be given to respond to the concerns raised. O'Brien was released on bail and the case was adjourned until 8 July.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)