Seventeen members of Greece’s coastguard are facing prosecution in connection with the country’s deadliest migrant shipwreck, a tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives. This news was confirmed by rights groups representing both survivors and victims on Friday.
- Advertisement -
According to survivors, the coastguard’s response was alarmingly inadequate when the overwhelmed and aging trawler, known as the Adriana, sank on the night of June 13, 2023, off the coast of Pylos, while en route to Italy. The vessel was reportedly carrying over 750 individuals, as indicated by the United Nations, although only 82 bodies were recovered.
Lawyers representing the rights groups have announced that criminal proceedings have been initiated against the 17 officers involved. “This is a significant and obvious development in the pursuit of justice and accountability for the victims,” the collective of six rights groups stated in a press release.
Among the 104 survivors, many have filed a group criminal complaint, alleging that the coastguard took hours to respond as the boat encountered distress, despite receiving urgent warnings from the EU border agency Frontex and the NGO Alarm Phone. “The tragic loss of life could perhaps have been prevented with a timely intervention,” noted one legal representative.
The prosecution also extends to the former chief of the coastguard, the supervisor of the Greek National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, and two navigation safety officers who were on duty that fateful day.
The Adriana was making its way from Tobruk, Libya, to Italy and carried a diverse group of passengers, including Syrians, Palestinians, and nearly 350 Pakistanis, according to the Pakistani government.
Survivors recount that while the coastguard did eventually respond and initiated a towing operation, the vessel ultimately capsized and sank 47 nautical miles off Pylos.
In their defense, the coastguard claimed they had communicated with individuals aboard who “refused any help,” suggesting that a rescue operation under high seas conditions could have posed significant risks. However, lawyers for the survivors argued that the coastguard opted to deploy only a patrol boat from Crete, neglecting to send a larger rescue tugboat that was stationed closer at the port of Gytheion in the Peloponnese region.
To compound these concerns, it was reported that the patrol boat’s voyage data recorder was damaged and only repaired two months post-accident, leaving no video footage to provide clarity on the events leading up to the tragedy.
As we reflect on this heart-wrenching incident, the path toward accountability remains crucial. “Justice is not merely about punishment; it is about ensuring that such tragedies do not recur in the future,” concluded a spokesperson for the rights groups.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
