Latest news with #Adriana
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
21 Greek coast guards, officials, charged in deadly migrant shipwreck
May 27 (UPI) -- A court in Greece charged 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard and four officials in connection with a shipwreck in which as many as 650 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern city of Pylos in June 2023. Piraeus Naval Court deputy prosecutor Monday charged the captain of the coast guard vessel LS-920 with causing a shipwreck resulting in the deaths of 82 people -- the number of bodies recovered -- reckless interference with maritime transport and failure to provide assistance to a vessel in distress at sea. The charges stem from an alleged bungled effort by the coastguards to tow the overloaded Adriana, which was attempting to smuggle 750 paying migrants to Italy from Libya, causing it to capsize, and then conspiring to cover it up. Just 104 survivors were rescued. Another estimated 500 people beneath the deck of the fishing boat, including 100 women and children, remain missing, presumed drowned, according to the United Nations. The 16 crew members were charged with being complicit in the criminal acts allegedly committed by the captain, while the then-chief of the Coast Guard and the supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Piraeus were among four officials charged with "exposing others to danger." Under Greece's legal system, charges do not necessarily mean a case will go to trial. Legal counsel for the victim said the charges were "a substantial and self-evident development in the course of vindication of the victims and the delivery of justice." Greek authorities have consistently denied the allegations made by survivors, claiming instead that the Coast Guard had instructed nearby ships to resupply the Adriana with fuel, food and water to enable it to sail on to Italy as it was not in need of rescuing. The Coast Guard initially declined to launch a disciplinary probe into the actions of the LS-920's captain and crew. However, analysis by the BBC, New York Times, The Guardian, other media outlets and human rights organizations of data and evidence from eyewitnesses found that the vessel was stationary for hours before it sank. Critical video, call and radio traffic evidence between the Adriana and the Coast Guard, said to be unavailable due to equipment failure, which has since been leaked, appears to show the Coast Guard instructing the Adriana's captain to tell the ships offering assistance that he wanted to continue to Italy. In one of the tapes, a National Search and Rescue Coordination Center officer apparently coaches the captain of the Lucky Sailor, one of the vessels that resupplied the Adriana, about what he had seen and heard -- "ok, ok, everybody screaming that they don't want Greece and they want Italy? -- and instructs him to make sure he records it in the ship's log. A trial of nine Egyptians accused of people smuggling and causing the disaster collapsed in May 2024 after a Greek court threw out the case, ruling it lacked jurisdiction because the Adriana went down 47 miles out at sea, meaning it was in international waters. The coast guard defended its record, telling the BBC in February that it was internationally renowned for its humanitarian efforts, particularly as it had rescued more than 250,000 migrants from the seas around Greece in the past 10 years and detained at least 1,000 people smugglers. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Greek court charges 17 coastguards over deadly 2023 Pylos shipwreck
A naval court in Greece has charged 17 members of the Greek coast guard over the deadly Pylos shipwreck in 2023. The Adriana fishing boat, which departed Libya for Italy, sank on 14 June 2023 in international waters within the Greek search-and-rescue zone near the town of Pylos. At least 82 bodies were recovered from the disaster, though up to 650 were feared dead. Hundreds of people, including women and children, were missing after being trapped below deck. Only 104 of an estimated 750 passengers survived. Survivors of the shipwreck told media that a botched attempt by Greek coastguards to tow the vessel had caused it to capsize. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The deputy prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court indicted 17 Hellenic Coast Guard members, including the captain of the LS-920 coastguard vessel. The captain faces charges of 'causing a shipwreck', 'dangerous interference of maritime transport' and 'failure to provide assistance'. Other crew members were charged with 'complicity' in acts committed by the captain. Reports by rights groups and watchdogs, based on survivors' testimonies, pointed to the role of the Hellenic Coast Guard in precipitating the wreck, by first delaying its rescue response and then attempting to tow the boat. Survivors told the BBC that the Greek vessel attached a rope to the fishing boat and moved off quickly, causing it to flip. They said that once the survivors had reached land, they were told to keep quiet about how events had unfolded. In February, leaked audio recordings revealed that Greek rescue coordinators instructed the captain of the Adriana fishing boat to tell an approaching ship that those on board did not want to go to Greece - contradicting the coastguard's account of the incident. The coastguard has maintained that the people aboard were not at risk and did not request assistance and insisted they wanted to go to Italy and not Greece. A joint legal team representing victims and survivors welcomed the decision by authorities to pursue charges. '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," the legal team said. The 17 men are set to be questioned in the coming weeks by the naval court's deputy prosecutor. The court will then decide whether a full trial will go ahead, or if the charges will be dismissed. The Greek government told the BBC that its coast guard fully respects human rights and has rescued over 250,000 people at sea in the past ten years.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
21 Greek coast guards, officials, charged in deadly migrant shipwreck
May 27 (UPI) -- A court in Greece charged 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard and four officials in connection with a shipwreck in which as many as 650 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern city of Pylos in June 2023. Piraeus Naval Court deputy prosecutor Monday charged the captain of the coast guard vessel LS-920 with causing a shipwreck resulting in the deaths of 82 people -- the number of bodies recovered -- reckless interference with maritime transport and failure to provide assistance to a vessel in distress at sea. The charges stem from an alleged bungled effort by the coastguards to tow the overloaded Adriana, which was attempting to smuggle 750 paying migrants to Italy from Libya, causing it to capsize, and then conspiring to cover it up. Just 104 survivors were rescued. Another estimated 500 people beneath the deck of the fishing boat, including 100 women and children, remain missing, presumed drowned, according to the United Nations. The 16 crew members were charged with being complicit in the criminal acts allegedly committed by the captain, while the then-chief of the Coast Guard and the supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Piraeus were among four officials charged with "exposing others to danger." Under Greece's legal system, charges do not necessarily mean a case will go to trial. Legal counsel for the victim said the charges were "a substantial and self-evident development in the course of vindication of the victims and the delivery of justice." Greek authorities have consistently denied the allegations made by survivors, claiming instead that the Coast Guard had instructed nearby ships to resupply the Adriana with fuel, food and water to enable it to sail on to Italy as it was not in need of rescuing. The Coast Guard initially declined to launch a disciplinary probe into the actions of the LS-920's captain and crew. However, analysis by the BBC, New York Times, The Guardian, other media outlets and human rights organizations of data and evidence from eyewitnesses found that the vessel was stationary for hours before it sank. Critical video, call and radio traffic evidence between the Adriana and the Coast Guard, said to be unavailable due to equipment failure, which has since been leaked, appears to show the Coast Guard instructing the Adriana's captain to tell the ships offering assistance that he wanted to continue to Italy. In one of the tapes, a National Search and Rescue Coordination Center officer apparently coaches the captain of the Lucky Sailor, one of the vessels that resupplied the Adriana, about what he had seen and heard -- "ok, ok, everybody screaming that they don't want Greece and they want Italy? -- and instructs him to make sure he records it in the ship's log. A trial of nine Egyptians accused of people smuggling and causing the disaster collapsed in May 2024 after a Greek court threw out the case, ruling it lacked jurisdiction because the Adriana went down 47 miles out at sea, meaning it was in international waters. The coast guard defended its record, telling the BBC in February that it was internationally renowned for its humanitarian efforts, particularly as it had rescued more than 250,000 migrants from the seas around Greece in the past 10 years and detained at least 1,000 people smugglers.
STV News
4 days ago
- STV News
Greek coastguards charged over deadly migrant boat disaster
A Greek court has charged 17 coastguards over one of the deadliest migrant boat disasters in the last decade. The Adriana, a massively overcrowded fishing trawler, had been heading from Libya to Italy with between 500-750 people on board when it sank in international waters west of Pylos in Greece in June 2023. There is no official death count since the number on board was never confirmed, however up to 650 people are estimated to have died. Many women and children are believed to have perished as they were stuck below deck when the trawler sank. Only 104 passengers survived, and 82 bodies were recovered. The shipwreck occurred in one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean. The captain of one Hellenic Coastguard vessel, the LS-920, faces charges of 'causing a shipwreck' that led to the the deaths of at least 82 people, 'dangerous interference of maritime transport,' and 'failure to provide assistance.' The crew of the same vessel have been charged with 'simple complicity.' The then Chief of the Coast Guard and the Supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre in Piraeus is among four senior officials who have been charged with 'exposing others to danger' despite their legal obligation to rescue them. Lawyers representing the victims and survivors of the shipwreck say they welcome the criminal prosecution of the 17 coastguards, two years after the shipwreck. Prior to the disaster, the coastguard, which had been notified about the boat by Italian authorities, had been shadowing the vessel for hours as it sailed within Greece's area of responsibility for search and rescue. Although the vessel was clearly in bad shape, Greek officials were unable to evacuate the passengers before it sank. At the time, the coast guard said the Adriana's captain had insisted he did not need assistance and wanted to continue sailing to Italy. However, audio recordings were released earlier this year casting doubt on this version of events. In one recording, a Greek official could be heard telling the Adriana's captain to say 'we don't want to go to Greece' to a boat that was approaching with aid. Survivors have been calling for justice and accountability for the tragedy / Credit: AP Several survivors said passengers had been calling for help repeatedly, and said that the boat capsized during a botched attempt by the Greek coastguard to tow it, an allegation which Greek officials strongly deny. Last year, a case was dismissed against nine Egyptian men accused of people smuggling and causing the shipwreck. A prosecutor argued that Greece lacked jurisdiction to charge them, since the incident happened in international waters. The indictments against the nine men were based on testimonies from nine survivors. Defence lawyers argued that testimony had been coerced, and that their clients had been paying passengers who were scapegoated by authorities eager to put the blame for the sinking on overcrowded conditions. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Arab News
4 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Greek court issues charges over 2023 migrant boat disaster
LONDON: A Greek naval court has charged 17 coast guards over one of the Mediterranean's deadliest boat disasters, which killed up to 650 migrants. The overcrowded Adriana fishing vessel capsized and sank near Pylos off the Greek coast in June 2023. Survivors told the BBC that witnesses were silenced by Greek coast guards, who had caused the Adriana to capsize by trying to tow it. Greek authorities have consistently denied the claims. Piraeus Naval Court's deputy prosecutor found that 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard should face criminal charges over the disaster. One survivor told the BBC on Monday: 'It has taken us two years just for these charges to come, even though so many people witnessed what happened.' Among those facing charges is the captain of the LS-920, the coast guard ship that intercepted the Adriana. The captain is accused of 'causing a shipwreck,' leading to the deaths of 'at least 82 people.' That figure represents the number of bodies recovered from the shipwreck, but it is believed that up to 500 more people died, including many women and children who were below deck. Four other officials, including the then-chief of the coast guard and the supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Piraeus, were charged with 'exposing others to danger.' The LS-920 captain was also charged with 'dangerous interference of maritime transport' and a 'failure to provide assistance.' The coast guard ship's crew were charged with 'simple complicity' in all the actions allegedly committed by the captain. The Adriana, which left Libya for Italy with about 750 people on board, had been monitored by the coast guard for about 15 hours before the disaster took place. Only 104 survivors have been recorded. The BBC conducted a lengthy investigation that challenged the Greek coast guard's account of the sinking. Last year, a Greek court threw out a case against nine Egyptians allegedly tied to the disaster, amid claims that they had been scapegoated by Greek authorities. Syrian refugee Ahmad described the events to the BBC and accused the Greek coast guard of negligence. '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.' Once survivors were rescued, they were ordered to 'shut up' by the official in charge of questioning, Ahmad added. The survivors, he said, were told: 'You have survived death. Stop talking about the incident. Don't ask more questions about it.' Ahmad said he is 'very happy' that the coast guards 'are eventually being held accountable for all that they have committed, but until I see them in prison nothing has been done yet.'
