Migrant boat captain charged with murder after throwing Christians overboard

An immigrant from Cameroon is currently on trial in Spain for the murder of six Christians in 2014. The boat's captain, identified as Alain N.B., allegedly threw the Christian passengers off the boat for praying during a storm.

The survivors of the journey recounted that Alain blamed the storm on the prayers led by a Catholic pastor. Witnesses stated that the captain believed the weather got worse each time the Christians prayed.

The witnesses testified that Alain and another Cameroonian beat the pastor with planks of wood before they threw him overboard. The other Cameroonian, believed to be Alain's second in command, died in Spain before the trial.

The two men allegedly searched the other passengers for concealed Christian amulets. At least five other migrants were attacked and believed to have drowned.

The prosecution asserted that Alain knew "the victims could not possibly survive and that they would die, either by drowning, from the cold, or from the physical injuries they had suffered. He was aware of the low temperature, the rough seas and the great distance from the coast and the absence of any nearby boats which could rescue them."

The prosecutor is seeking a 90-year sentence for the murder of the six passengers.

The 29 survivors, who boarded the boat from Morocco, were found in Almeria on Dec. 5, 2014, by sea-rescue services. The 10-meter-long inflatable craft was found drifting without a motor. 21 others, including seven babies, perished due to the high winds and rough seas.

The survivors were given psychological assistance for their trauma. Suspicions about the murders began to surface when some of the migrants seemed scared to talk about their journey.

The two Cameroonians were found to be in possession of 1,500 euros in cash, which was said to be the same amount that was found on the victims before they were thrown off the boat.

According to the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, 300,078 migrants have arrived in Europe by sea in 2016. 3,211 have been reported as dead or missing.

Most of the refugees landed in Italy and Greece. 3,805 migrants have crossed the sea to get to Spain in the first half of 2016.