Greek court orders 9 smuggling suspects held pending trial over migrant ship disaster

ATHENS, Greece — Nine men suspected of crewing a migrant smuggling ship that sank off Greece leaving more than 500 missing were ordered held in pretrial custody Tuesday, as new accounts emerged on the sinking and the appalling conditions on the trip from Libya towards Italy. “The Greek ship cast a rope and it was tied to our bows,” survivor Abdul Rahman Alhaz said in his sworn testimony. He said the “people in charge” on the trawler were all Egyptians, and recognized seven suspects from pictures Greek authorities showed him. “ didn’t give us food or water, and hit us with a belt to keep us from standing up.” Neseer said other passengers told him a tow line was attached by a “big ship” just before the sinking. and the more urgent is that we act.” Von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive arm, said the EU should help African countries like Tunisia, where many migrants leave for Europe, to stabilize their economies, as well as finalize a long-awaited reform of the 27-nation bloc’s asylum rules.