Four senior members of the Greek coastguard, including the current commander, are set to face criminal charges for negligent manslaughter related to a migrant boat disaster in June 2023, which is believed to have resulted in the deaths of up to 650 individuals. The fishing vessel Adriana sank off the coast near Pylos after being monitored by a Greek patrol vessel for approximately 15 hours.
Survivors reported to the BBC that the Adriana capsized following an unsuccessful towing attempt by the coastguard. Greek authorities have consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with the incident. A prosecutor at the naval appeal court in Piraeus has now recommended that Vice Admiral Tryfon Kontizas, along with three other senior officers, stand trial.
The charges under consideration include negligent manslaughter in international waters, though within Greece’s designated rescue zone, as well as exposing individuals to danger through negligence, which is claimed to have resulted in fatalities. Reports indicate that the Adriana had departed from Libya en route to Italy and that survivors assert the coastguard’s actions destabilized the boat, leading to the disaster.
While 82 bodies have been retrieved from the sea, many more are believed to remain undiscovered. Earlier this year, prosecutors determined that 17 members of the coastguard should face various charges, including the captain of the involved vessel and the former head of the coastguard, Vice Admiral Giorgos Alexandrakis. However, Vice Admiral Kontizas and three other senior officials were initially cleared of blame, a decision later contested by survivors’ lawyers.
Greece maintains that it upholds human rights standards, claiming to have rescued over 250,000 individuals at sea over the past decade.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8gw6z2nydo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss