The overloaded fishing boat departed Libya for Europe and capsized on the night of June 14 off the Peloponnese peninsula at one of the lowest points in the Mediterranean after the engine previously failed. 82 bodies have been recovered so far. According to official information, 104 people were saved. According to survivors, hundreds of people were on board, including women and children who were in the hold.
Shortly after the sinking of the ship, the first statements appeared according to which the accident had been caused by the Coast Guard – specifically by a risky towing maneuver. This was confirmed by several survivors, and a few days ago, new investigations by the British “Guardian” with ARD and investigative journalists from the Greek Solomon platform supported this version. A rope attachment may have caused the boat to capsize.
AP/Thanassis Stavrakis The Greek coastguard has long been suspected of giving low priority to human rights
fatal use of rope
The Greek Coast Guard initially denied the use of a rope, but later admitted that it was. However, this was only done to stabilize the vessel and assess the situation and was done at least two hours before the trawler sank.
Two survivors told the BBC: “They tied a rope to the left. They all moved to the right side of our boat to balance it. The Greek ship quickly pulled away, causing our boat to capsize. They dragged it with them for a while. time.” The men said they spent two hours in the water before being arrested by the Coast Guard, one of the men said his watch was still working so he could be sure.
“You survived! Don’t ask any more questions!”
On land in Kalamata, the Coast Guard told survivors to shut up as they accused Greek authorities of causing the disaster. The rescued were instructed to give thanks for not dying. “You survived! Stop talking about the incident! Don’t ask any more questions!”
Shortly after the sinking, nine Egyptian men aged between 20 and 40 who were among the survivors were arrested. They were identified as the masterminds of a gang of people smugglers and charged with manslaughter and human smuggling. According to the Greek authorities, they were identified by fellow travelers – they boasted of efficient investigative work.
debate
How can a humane asylum policy be?
Some survivors claimed the suspects abused those on board, while other testimonies said they really just wanted to help. In any case, the two men interviewed told the BBC that the coastguard had instructed all survivors to blame the nine Egyptians for human trafficking. “They were detained and wrongfully accused by the Greek authorities to cover up their own crime.”
comparable cases
An interpreter and a lawyer from Kalamata spoke to the BBC about similar cases. The interpreter said he witnessed the Greek Coast Guard accusing two innocent Iranians of human trafficking last year after rescuing 32 refugees. The case was eventually archived. “It ended up like I didn’t want to do it again because they didn’t try to get to the bottom of the truth. They tried to catch some people and charge them with people smuggling.”
Lawyer Chrysanthi Kaouni said she has been involved in several criminal cases against alleged human traffickers and does not believe “justice will be done” in any of them. “My concerns relate to translations, the way evidence is collected, and ultimately the defendants’ ability to challenge that evidence.”
A new study has revealed that the average trial in Greece for migrants accused of human trafficking lasted just 37 minutes and the average prison sentence was 46 years, according to the BBC. Verdicts are usually based on the testimony of a single member of police or coastguard staff.
EU Parliament wants more effective maritime rescue
The EU Parliament reacted to the accident in mid-June with a resolution on Thursday. In it, MEPs call for more active and coordinated “search and rescue” (SAR) operations by the EU and member states, in which the border protection agency Frontex should play a key role. Sufficient capabilities would have to be made available in the form of ships, equipment and personnel.
The Commission is also requested to provide full information on all types of support provided by the EU and its Member States to border and coast guards in third countries, including Libya, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. Allegations of serious violations of fundamental rights by the Libyan coastguard must be verified and, if necessary, cooperation terminated.