An unbiased Greek authority probing the lethal Pylos shipwreck is posing questions eight months afterward whether or not the Greek coast guard had even been tasked to hold out a search and rescue.
”You’re taking it with no consideration that the operation was a search and rescue operation,” Andreas Pottakis, the Greek ombudsman, instructed MEPs within the civil liberties committee on Wednesday (14 February).
”One of many issues that the Greek ombudsman is investigating is whether or not the Greek coast guard was truly endeavor a search and rescue operation or not,” he added.
The feedback observe accusations {that a} Greek patrol boat capsized the Adriana, killing over 600 individuals, in its try to tow the overcrowded fishing vessel in direction of Italy on 14 June 2023.
A rescue operation was solely launched as soon as individuals have been within the water, with the Greeks denying any wrongdoing amid claims, since challenged, that the individuals onboard didn’t wish to be helped.
However Pottakis’ remark seems to recommend that there was a deliberate transfer by the Greek authorities to skirt their tasks, placing the lives of lots of of individuals in peril.
The Greek patrol boat despatched to the scene, previous to the sinking, had solely 43 life jackets readily available. This comes regardless of being instructed on 13 June that no less than 750 individuals have been onboard, together with two lifeless youngsters, in addition to sick infants.
The Greek coast guard would additionally later declare that the patrol boat’s extremely subtle cameras mounted on the mast of the ship have been switched off.
And it follows a observe document of comparable towing antics by the Greek coast guard, accused of pulling rafts within the waters between the Greek islands and the Turkish coast.
No accountability
However it additionally comes amid growing alarm over the snail’s tempo of a Greek naval court docket investigation into the position of the Greek coast guard, in addition to the velocity wherein a separate felony investigation into 9 Egyptian survivors who now face life sentences over allegations of smuggling.
The naval court docket remains to be on the preliminary phases of its investigation, having waited till December to summon witnesses. And it took a number of months earlier than the court docket requested the cell telephones of coast guard officers on the patrol boat on the scene of the sinking.
Fears are additionally mounting that the naval court docket would drop its probe altogether ought to the 9 Egyptians find yourself in jail, posing accountability questions over a Greek authority with a observe document of abuse.
”If the 9 Egyptians are discovered responsible, would the naval court docket then simply merely shut the case?,” stated Judith Sunderland of Human Rights Watch.
The listening to within the European Parliament on Wednesday was additionally the primary time Pottakis had been summoned to deal with the problem in public, noting that the Greek parliament had by no means organised any such occasion on the Pylos shipwreck.
”The truth that I’m persevering with the investigation signifies that there are already findings,” he additionally stated, with out specifying given the secrecy of the probe.
The European Fee says it’s making use of stress to get the Greek judicial investigations finalised. However it too has run into issues.
Greek naval court docket snubs European Fee
Beate Gminder, the European Fee’s performing director-general of inner affairs, says she was snubbed by the Greek naval court docket after a gathering request was denied.
And the EU’s border guard company, Frontex, has additionally come underneath fireplace for not having completed sufficient to safe the protection for the lots of that ended up lifeless.
A severe incident report on Pylos from Frontex’s elementary rights officer, disclosed by the Euractiv media outlet, highlighted the shortcomings.
It famous that the Warsaw-based company ought to have been extra proactive and issued a mayday alert. However it additionally faulted the Greeks, noting they ”had did not well timed declare a search and rescue.”
Emily O’Reilly, the European Ombudsman, is about to launch her personal inquiry into Frontex’s dealing with of the Pylos shipwreck.
”Frontex doesn’t function in a vacuum and understanding the system wherein it’s embedded is important to the how did this occur query,” she stated.
Her investigation is about to be revealed inside 10 days.