Release of Marjan Jamali Granting Liberties
Title: Marjan Jamali Acquittal in Locri, Italy: Human Trafficking Charges against Refugees Explored
Marjan Jamali, a 30-year-old woman from Iran, found herself in the headlines when the Criminal Court in Locri, southern Italy, cleared her of human trafficking charges on Monday. Jamali had arrived on the Italian coast with her eight-year-old son in October 2023, fleeing persecution, only to be arrested moments later on accusations of being part of a smuggling organization.
The prosecution had alleged that Jamali held roles on the refugee boat during the dangerous crossing and helped distribute food, thus supporting criminal structures. They demanded a six-year prison sentence for her, along with a €15,000 fine per passenger, amounting to over €1.5 million in total.
During the trial, two witnesses who had made the crossing with Jamali testified in her defense. They backed her story, confirming that the defendant herself was a refugee and had no part in organizing the escape. In fact, she had been sexually harassed by three men during the journey in the presence of her child. The disturbing incident was later used against her by fellow passengers, who falsely accused her of being a smuggler, but these individuals could not be found for the trial.
A weak crutch in the prosecution's case was their evidence of Jamali's membership in a Telegram group allegedly used by smugglers. While they attempted to make this a smoking gun, her defense considered it a misunderstood piece of evidence. Instead, Jamali's lawyer provided a receipt for a payment made to a Turkish agency by the Jamali family. The receipt demonstrated that they had paid for the crossing, and therefore, Jamali was not an organizer but a passenger. Furthermore, an Egyptian migrant claimed to have been the boat's captain, along with a family traced in Germany, who both corroborated Jamali's passenger status.
Jamali was tried alongside another defendant, Amir Babai. Like Jamali, Babai was also acquitted based on witness testimony. Marjan described Babai as a protector during the crossing, helping her avoid further harassment. The Locri court sentenced Babai to six years and one month in prison and a fine of €1.5 million, appealing his decision.
Activists from the organization Tre Dita protested against the allegations of criminalizing political refugees in front of the courthouse on Monday. Kurdish filmmaker and activist Maysoon Majidi, president of the organization, was present. She herself was acquitted of similar charges in February after spending ten months in prison.
"Refugees are not criminals. The term 'smuggler' is meaningless. Human traffickers never get on the boats – refugees risk their lives," Majidi said during the protest. She referred to the harsh realities facing many people, especially in the Kurdish region of Iran, where at least 124 Kurds were executed in 2024, as reported by human rights organization Hana. "Marjan just wanted to live in peace with her eight-year-old son," Majidi noted emotionally.
In the aftermath of the acquittal, Jamali expressed her relief and gratitude towards her lawyer, stating that she wanted to focus on securing a prosperous future for her now nine-year-old son. While still worried about her parents, who fled to a family house in the mountains north of Tehran due to Israeli bombings, Jamali is grateful for her newfound freedom.
The European Parliament welcomed Italians Mimmo Lucano and Ilaria Salis, who successfully ran on the left-green list last year. Salis criticized the Italian government's "relentless anti-migration and racist propaganda," while Lucano's work, which includes revitalizing depopulated villages, inspired the reception program, "Jungi Mundi," under which Jamali was housed in the Calabrian mountain village of Camini.
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- The acquittal of Marjan Jamali, a refugee from Iran, in the Locri General-News trial has sparked discussions about politics and crime-and-justice, questioning whether refugees should be criminalized for seeking asylum.
- Despite being acquitted, Jamali continues to face challenges, such as the safety of her family in Iran, as politics and human rights issues persistently intertwine across Europe.
