The Greek Coast Guard is facing intense scrutiny over its border management practices, with accusations of systemic human rights violations and a profound lack of accountability emerging in the wake of the deadly Pylos shipwreck. While criminal charges have been brought against the current chief and 20 other officers for their roles in the tragedy, human rights organizations argue this is symptomatic of a wider, unaddressed crisis at sea.
This growing chasm between official inaction and on-the-water realities is detailed in a new memo submitted to the Council of Europe. As the Greek publication Efimerida ton Syntakton highlighted, the document paints a grim picture. The memo, titled "Accountability adrift in Greek waters," was filed in October by the Greek organization "Refugee Support Aegean" and the German foundation Pro Asyl. It urges the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers to prioritize an examination of Greece's compliance with its international obligations, particularly concerning the right to life.
The memo’s urgency is underscored by four separate convictions of Greece at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg over the past three years. These rulings, concerning incidents between 2014 and 2018, consistently found that the Greek Coast Guard’s fatal omissions and actions directly led to the deaths of dozens of refugees. The ECHR judgments revealed that protecting the right to life was not a priority in Coast Guard operations. Investigations found a lack of proper planning, outdated and unpublished rules of engagement, no risk assessment for the use of firearms, and an absence of adequate search and rescue plans. The memo argues that despite these damning rulings, the Coast Guard continues on the same dangerous path.
The organizations pinpoint several ongoing systemic failures, including:
Deficient Search and Rescue: Poor communication, lack of interpretation services, delayed responses, and an absence of digital tracking for Coast Guard vessels.
Life-Endangering Practices: Arbitrary use of firearms, abandoning people in unseaworthy rafts, destroying refugee boat engines, and dangerous towing maneuvers that have led to collisions.
Ineffective Investigations: A lack of independence in criminal investigations, as Coast Guard members often conduct the preliminary inquiry into their own colleagues, leading to missing digital evidence and a pattern of denial.
The domestic pressure for reform is also mounting. Greece’s Ombudsman, Andreas Potakis, has publicly accused the Ministry of Shipping of "obstructionism," noting that nine months after a disciplinary investigation was completed, the ministry has failed to act on its findings. This inaction, he stated, undermines the morale of law-abiding Coast Guard members and damages the service's international reputation.
The political and union fallout has been swift. The Shipping wing of the SYRIZA opposition party accused the Prime Minister and government of risking the Coast Guard's credibility. Meanwhile, the maritime workers' union PENEN has called for the immediate removal of the Coast Guard Chief, stating that the government must demand his resignation to begin restoring integrity to the force.
Photo: Ertnews