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Criminal Charges Against Greek Coast Guard Officers Called "Essential and Self-Evident"

According to Efimerida ton Syntakton, six organizations representing the families of victims have expressed satisfaction over the criminal prosecution of 17 Greek Coast Guard officers for their alleged roles in the deadly Pylos shipwreck that claimed at least 82 lives in June 2023.

The Piraeus Naval Court Prosecutor's Office has filed felony charges against multiple officers, including former Coast Guard Chief George Alexandrakis and Lieutenant Commander Miltiadis Zouridakis, who captained patrol vessel 920 that approached the migrant boat before it capsized. The captain faces charges of causing a shipwreck resulting in multiple deaths, dangerous interference with maritime traffic, and failure to assist a vessel commander.

"Nearly two years after the Pylos shipwreck, the criminal prosecution and referral to main investigation for felonies of 17 Coast Guard members, including senior leadership officers, represents an essential and self-evident development in the pursuit of justice for the victims," stated the coalition of human rights groups.

The prosecutor's office has simultaneously dismissed charges against four officers, including current Coast Guard Chief Tryfon Kontizas, determining they lacked jurisdictional authority over the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center during the critical period.

Victim advocacy groups announced plans to appeal this dismissal to the Appellate Court Prosecutor, arguing that all officers in the operations center should face charges given their executive involvement in managing the incident. They cited findings from the Greek Ombudsman's investigation that had previously identified potential liability among these officials.

The judicial proceedings represent a significant step toward accountability in one of the Mediterranean's deadliest maritime disasters, which occurred when a fishing vessel carrying hundreds of migrants capsized west of Pylos on June 14, 2023. Controversy has surrounded the Coast Guard's actions before the ship sank and their rescue operations afterward.

The Pylos Tragedy

On June 14, 2023, an overcrowded fishing trawler, carrying over 700 migrants, capsized and sank off Pylos, Greece, in one of the Mediterranean's deadliest tragedies. Originating from Pakistan, Syria, and Afghanistan, among other nations, only 104 survivors—mostly men—were rescued. While 82 bodies were recovered, hundreds, including many women and children believed trapped in the hold, remain missing, presumed dead.

The disaster sparked international outrage and scrutiny of European border policies. Accusations persist that the Greek Coast Guard's actions contributed to the capsizing, which Greece vehemently denies. The Pylos shipwreck tragically underscored the perilous journeys refugees undertake and the urgent need for safer, legal pathways.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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