Moroccan captain forced on migrant journey : Two men face trial in Spain

A Granada court on Tuesday began the trial of two men accused of forcing the captain of a fishing boat in Morocco to take them under threat to Motril in Granada in order to enter Spain irregularly.

The two defendants, who have been in pre-trial detention since their arrest by the Civil Guard's Maritime Service, are facing a five-year prison sentence requested by the Granada prosecutor's office for illegal detention and causing minor injuries to the captain.

The incident dates back to May 2023, when the captain of the boat was fishing about 200 miles from the city of Al Hoceima with the two defendants, who were on the same boat.

The two defendants agreed to ask the captain «aggressively and threateningly» to take them to Spain, and when he refused, they ended up grabbing him by the neck, throwing him to the ground and putting a large knife around his neck.