Greek coastguard account of June 14 incident contains inconsistencies

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
10 Jul 2023 21:18

One of the survivors spoke of a rope being attached to the trawler by the "Greek army" and said they were being towed for 10 minutes before the boat sank, contradicting other accounts.

Images of the fishing boat involved in the 2023 Peloponnese migrant boat disaster, taken by the Greek coastguard hours before the capsizing. (Hellenic Coastguard)

A joint investigation carried out by The Guardian and several other media outlets revealed that the coastguard's official account of the June 14 incident -- during which a vessel sank and left many migrants lost at sea -- contains several inconsistencies with the evidence that was gathered by investigators.

On June 14, a trawler carrying hundreds of migrants sank off the coast of Greece, resulting in an unknown number of deaths. About 104 people were rescued, while 82 bodies were recovered, estimates reveal.

Survivors said the Greek coastguard caused the trawler to sink as they attempted to tow the vessel, an allegation that Greece has rejected.

The investigation involved a combination of interviews with survivors, analysis of court documents and sources from the Greek coastguard in order to give the fullest accounts to date of the boat's course up to its sinking.

Forensis, a German-based research agency specialized in spatial and architectural analysis to conduct investigations on human rights violations, showed that the boat had capsized 47 nautical miles off Pylos in southwestern Greece that day.

We interviewed survivors who testified that the towing of the boat by the HCG led to its capsizing, and that after the boat tilted on its side, the HCG left the scene, returning only 30' later to rescue people in the waterhttps://t.co/liIGgDmRaI
— Forensis (@counterinv) July 7, 2023

The data also showed that the coastguard vessel was stationed at a closer port but never dispatched to the incident and how Greek authorities failed to respond three times to offers of assistance by Frontex, the EU border and coastguard agency.

Using data from the coastguard's log and the testimony of the coast guard vessel's captain, as well as flight paths, maritime traffic data, satellite imagery, and other sources, Forensis managed to lay a clear picture of the incident, showing that the ship's last movements are inconsistent with the coastguard's account of the events, as well as the trawler's direction and speed.

The investigation further showed that the trawler began to sail westward to meet the single Greek coastguard that was at the scene. Several survivor testimonies said the coastguard told migrants it would lead them to Italy -- an account that contradicted the official version which stated that the trawler started moving west by itself.

The trawler then turned south and was almost stationary for an hour until a second and fatal towing attempt occurred.

Testimonies from two survivors described the towing of the vessel as they were sitting on the lower deck, saying they felt as if they were being propelled forward "like a rocket" but with the engine not operating, thus suggesting a towing attempt.

Another survivor spoke of a rope being attached to the trawler by the "Greek army" and said they were being towed for 10 minutes before the boat sank.

"I feel that they have tried to push us out of Greek water so that their responsibility ends," he said.

An amazing investigation by @we_are_solomon, Forensis, The Guardian and ARD reconstructs the events leading up to the shipwreck in Pylos − while under the supervision of Greek and EU authorities.

Well done @Malichudis, @corina_pet, and Iliana Papangeli.https://t.co/Ux7F7kuO08
— Nikos Papanikolaou (@NPanick) July 8, 2023

On July 4, Greece's new migration minister, Dimitris Kairidis, said a meeting with EU border agency Frontex is scheduled to be held in the coming days after the agency announced possible plans of suspending its activities in Greece following the incident.

Frontex fundamental rights officer Jonas Grimheden is the leading voice spearheading plans for Frontex's withdrawal, and Karidis said that Athens is ready to "address any complaint."

Karidis said that he would soon be meeting with representatives from the agency in the near future.

"We want good cooperation...I take the criticism very seriously," he said.

"Nobody knows exactly what happened," Kairidis added, noting that the criticism of Athens is "unfair" and that the international press had a "tendency to focus on the negative, which sells."