Coast Guard GreeceA photo taken by the Greek Coast Guard shortly before the ship’s disaster
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 16:20
Two survivors of the migrant boat disaster off the Greek coast last month say Greek authorities have told them to keep quiet about the role played by the Greek coastguard.
They also told to the BBC that they were pressured to charge Egyptians who were on board with human trafficking.
off-ramp
The overcrowded fishing boat Adriana from Libya made water southeast of the Greek peninsula of Peloponnese on June 13. Then the engine failed and the boat sank the following night. 104 people on board could be rescued, the deaths of 82 people on board have been confirmed and an estimated 500 people are missing.
NOS
The Coast Guard stated that the ship had refused help, but German broadcaster WDR learned a few days later from ten survivors that the Coast Guard had tried three times to tow the ship into Italian waters.
Britain’s Channel 4, which also spoke to a survivor, learned that the ship capsized shortly after the Coast Guard attached a rope to the ship. The Coast Guard confirmed the latter. This would have happened to keep the ship stable.
After the survivors were landed in Greece, nine Egyptians were charged with human trafficking.
New allegations
Two survivors spoke to the BBC confirm that the coastguard tried to tow the Adriana away. “They attached a rope to the left side. Everyone went to the right to balance it. The Greek ship quickly sailed away and our boat capsized,” said one of them. According to the BBC, this has been confirmed in the court documents by five witnesses.
AFP Survivors of the disaster in the Greek city of Kalamata
Once on land, the survivors had to keep quiet about what they had seen. “When people said the coastguard caused the disaster, the interpreter had to tell the interviewee to shut up,” said the other witness the BBC spoke to. “You survived! Shut up about it! Don’t ask any more questions,” they were said to have shouted.
The two are willing to declare this under oath if there is a fair trial.
Egyptians
The nine Egyptians charged with human trafficking face life imprisonment. “They have been imprisoned and falsely accused by the Greeks to cover up their own crime,” said one of the witnesses.
The statements made by other survivors about the role of the Egyptians are said to have been coerced by the Coast Guard.
The BBC also spoke to an Iranian-British interpreter who has experienced something like this before. Afghan crew members of a migrant ship from Turkey were allegedly pressured by the Greek authorities last year to accuse Iranian crew members of human smuggling. The Afghans were reportedly told that otherwise they would be sent back to the Taliban.
The BBC has asked the Greek authorities for a response. It didn’t come. The minister responsible for the coast guard turned down an interview request from the broadcaster.
2023-07-13 14:20:00
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