Four Libyan football players who sought migration to Italy to pursue their dreams of playing professionally in European stadiums have faced difficult circumstances since landing in Italian jails in 2015.
They were charged with smuggling illegal migrants and human trafficking, including Tarek Jumaa Al-Amami, a former player for Al-Tahadi Club.
An Italian court sentenced the four Libyan players to 30 years in prison on December 6, 2015. Alongside Al-Amami, the others included Alaa Faraj Al-Maghrabi from Ahly Benghazi Club, Abdul Rahman Abdul Mansour, and Mohamed Al-Sayyid from Al-Madina Tripoli Club, all accused of human trafficking and aiding illegal immigrants to enter Italian territory.
Al-Amami had dreamt of finding a better future on European pitches amid the economic struggles faced by players in Libyan stadiums, seeking professional opportunities with a German team before landing in Italian prisons.
Recently, Al-Amami appeared in a short video captured from the Syracuse prison in Sicily, where prison laws allow the Libyan player to make one weekly video call every Friday to see his family in Benghazi. He left the city in August 2015 at the age of 20.
Speaking in the video, Al-Amami stated, “Do I look like a criminal to you? They accuse me of being a murderer and trafficking humans. I am a football player, I have all the documents to prove it. You can talk to the president of the club I played for, Al-Tahadi Benghazi. I have been in prison for 9 years, I just wanted to play football in Germany, I was going to leave Italy to travel there.”
He continued, “I didn’t receive a single euro on that trip, and I didn’t take any other trips to Italy. How can they accuse me of being a smuggler? Wars were engulfing Benghazi, and it was impossible to get a visa.”
Regarding the death of 49 people suffocated in the shipping container aboard a boat, Al-Amami commented, “They died because they were under the engine. We were struggling to balance the boat amidst the mercy of the waves on that terrifying journey. I don’t remember who rescued us from the middle of the sea; they were soldiers, and one of the survivors accused us of a simple fact: that we were Libyans.”
Italian lawyer Serena Romano, representing Tarek Al-Amami, revealed the charges against her client, stating, “Assisting and inciting illegal migration and deliberate killing are the charges against Tarek. The evidence presented against hime consisted of statements made by some survivors during the evidentiary hearing.”
She said that it is hard to imagine what actually happened on that boat during its long journey. Panic often arises even on NGO boats and coastguard boats.
“Many incidents have affected Libyan migrants earlier. Additionally, there is a social factor that cannot be underestimated, the difference between Libyans and African migrants who face indescribable violence in Libya, according to United Nations reports,” she added.
It is worth noting that the families of the four players previously held several protests in various locations in Libya, urging local authorities to work towards releasing their sons.
Despite communications between authorities in both countries, Italy has so far refused to release the Libyan youth from its prisons. Additionally, Italy rejected another request suggesting that the four players serve their prison sentences in Libya.
