The Misdemeanor Court of Mytilini on Tuesday found 21 of 26 defendants guilty of participating in a so-called pogrom against migrants and refugees in April 2018.

The incident took place at Sappho Square in Mytilini, and the first time this three-member court recognized racist motives in imposing sentences.

Specifically, the court sentenced 2 defendants to 6 years in prison each, merging charges; 2 to 5 years and 9 months in prison each, also merging charges; 20 were sentenced to 1 year each for simple disturbance of peace; and 1 was sentenced to 9 months in prison for disturbing the peace, but recognized mitigating circumstances (age).

All 4 defendants were given suspended sentences of  3 years each, payable at the rate of 5 euros a day. 

Of the remaining 16, 4 were found innocent and for a fifth one charges were dropped, as she had died before trial. The rest were sentenced to one year in prison each, with one sentence reduced to 9 months for the mitigating circumstance of age.