Greek coastguards charged over 2023 migrant shipwreck
A naval court in Greece has charged 17 coastguards over the deadliest migrant boat disaster in the Mediterranean Sea for a decade.Up to 650 people were feared to have drowned when the overcrowded Adriana fishing vessel sank near Pylos, off the Greek coast, in the early hours of 14 June 2023.Survivors later told the BBC that Greek coastguards had caused their boat to capsize in a botched attempt to tow it and then silenced witnesses. "It has taken us two years just for these charges to come, even though so many people witnessed what happened," one of the survivors, a Syrian man we called Ahmad, said on Monday.
Captain of coastguard ship charged
The Greek authorities have always denied the claims against them.The Deputy Prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court has found that 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard should face criminal charges.Among them is the captain of the coastguard ship, the LS-920, who is charged with "causing a shipwreck", leading to the deaths of "at least 82 people".This corresponds to the number of bodies recovered, although it is thought as many as an additional 500 people drowned, including women and children who were all below deck.The disaster occurred in international waters - but within Greece's rescue zone.The then-Chief of the Coast Guard and the Supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre in Piraeus are among four officials charged with "exposing others to danger". The captain of the LS-920 is also charged with "dangerous interference of maritime transport" as well as a "failure to provide assistance" to the migrant boat.The crew of the ship are charged for "simple complicity" in all the acts allegedly committed by the captain.
Doubts over Greek officials' account
A coastguard ship had been monitoring the Adriana for 15 hours before it sank.It had left Libya for Italy with an estimated 750 people on board. Only 104 of them are known to have survived.We've been investigating since the day of the disaster and our series of findings has cast serious doubt on the official Greek version of events.Within a week, we obtained shipping data which challenged the claim the migrant boat had not in trouble and so did not need to be rescued. A month later, survivors told us the coastguard had caused their boat to sink in a disastrous effort to tow it and then forced witnessed to stay silent. Last year, a case against nine Egyptians was thrown out, amid claims they had been scapegoated by the Greek authorities. Earlier this year, audio recordings emerged which further challenged the official Greek version of events.
Syrian survivors feel 'vindicated'
We first met Syrian refugees, who we called Ahmad and Musaab to protect their identities, a month after the disaster.They said they each paid $4,500 (£3,480) for a spot on the boat.Ahmad's younger brother was also on board and did not survive.Musaab described to us the moment when - he alleged - the Greek coastguards caused their boat to sink."They attached a rope from the left," he said. "Everyone moved to the right side of our boat to balance it. The Greek vessel moved off quickly causing our boat to flip. They kept dragging it for quite a distance."The men claimed that once on land, in the port of Kalamata, the coastguard told survivors to "shut up" when they started to talk about how the Greek authorities had caused the disaster."When people replied by saying the Greek coastguard was the cause, the official in charge of the questioning asked the interpreter to tell the interviewee to stop talking," Ahmad said.He said officials shouted: "You have survived death. Stop talking about the incident Don't ask more questions about it."Today Ahmad - who is now living in Germany - said he felt vindicated by the charges that had been brought. "I'm very happy they are eventually being held accountable for all that they have committed, but until I see them in prison nothing has been done yet," he said. "To be honest, the Greek legal system is very unreliable."
Legal team for victims welcome charges
The joint legal team representing survivors and victims of the disaster said the decision to pursue a case against the 17 coastguards was a big step forward towards justice being done.In a statement it said: "Almost two years after the Pylos shipwreck, the prosecution and referral to main investigation for felonies of 17 members of the Coast Guard, including senior officers of its leadership, constitutes a substantial and self-evident development in the course of vindication of the victims and the delivery of justice."It is understood the 17 men who have now been charged will be questioned in the coming weeks by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court.The court will then decide whether to send them to full trial or dismiss the charges.It is not immediately clear what punishment the coastguards could receive if found guilty.Greece has previously told the BBC its Coast Guard fully respects human rights and has rescued more than 250,000 people at sea in the past decade.
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The substance, known as SelectaDNA, sticks on a target for several months allowing police to link them to a specific theft via the special code. The method is being introduced in various hotspots around the country including London, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Scotland. How to protect your mobile from e-bike i-jackers Criminals often use bikes and mopeds to snatch mobile phones from people, particularly at busy locations such as outside stations, shopping centres or concert venues. Often victims are approached from behind while talking or texting on phones. Criminals on mopeds or bicycles may mount the pavement to grab the phone or snatch it from the road. Sometimes when it's a moped, a pillion passenger will snatch it. While most thefts happen between six and ten at night, criminals operate during the day too, so always look out for what's going on around you. The Metropolitan Police has urged people to follow these steps to protect your phone: Be aware of your surroundings If you need to call or use your phone on the street, look out for anyone on a bike or a moped near you. Look up, look out Make it quick so you don't become distracted Don't text while you're walking – you won't notice what's going on around you If that's not possible, stand away from the roadside, close to a building or wall, so no one can come up behind you Going hands-free can prevent a thief from snatching your phone out of your hand Use security features on your phone You must switch on your phone's security features to protect your phone Use the keypad lock so that thieves cannot immediately access your phone, or use the biometric authentication if your phone has it (fingerprint or facial recognition) Your phone may have other security features you can use – these could allow you to wipe data, lock your handset, or prevent a thief from restoring a phone to its factory settings from another internet device Consider installing an anti-theft app. These can be an effective way of helping police trace your phone and identify the thief Know how to identify your phone if it's stolen Every phone has an IMEI number which helps police and insurance companies to identify it if it's stolen. UK network operators can also stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI Register your valuables on an accredited property database.
