A court in Greece has sentenced Serhiy Shvayuk, a musician of the Ivano-Frankivsk band Perkalaba, and his friend Petro Lytvynchuk to 180 years in prison for smuggling of migrants. The trial took place both were found guilty, the Ukrainian news outlet Slidstvo.Info said. Interpreter of the prosecutor’s office in the city of Piraeus Lidia Kostiv said that the Ukrainians were charged on several counts: illegal crossing of the borders of a European Union country, making people exposed to danger on an overcrowded boat and the lack of life-saving equipment. Also, Shvayuk and Lytvynchuk had no documents allowing them to use the boat.
Greek lawyer of the Ukrainians Zacharias Kesses explained that such long terms are due to the peculiarities of the Greek legislation. In his words, there were 63 illegal migrants on the boat with the two Ukrainians. “They can add 10-15 years for every illegal migrant when the verdict is considered. Initially, they were facing 630 years behind bars,” the lawyer said.
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