Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for an independent and impartial investigation into the deadly Pylos shipwreck from last month, off the Greek coast.
The fishing vessel, Adriana, was carrying an estimated 750 people when it sank, and only 104 survivors were rescued. The ship is believed to have set off from Libya.
Survivors’ accounts suggest that the vessel was towed by a Greek coast guard boat, causing the fatal wreck, but the Greek authorities have denied these claims.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have urged the Greek authorities, with support and scrutiny from the international community, to ensure a transparent investigation to provide truth and justice for survivors and families of the victims and hold those responsible to account.
During their visit to Greece between July 4th and 13th, the organisations interviewed 19 survivors, four relatives of the missing, NGOs, representatives of the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Greek police, and United Nations (UN) and international agencies and organisations.
Survivors consistently stated that the Hellenic Coast Guard vessel dispatched to the scene attached a rope to the Adriana and started towing, causing it to sway and then capsize.
The survivors also consistently said that passengers asked to be rescued and that they witnessed others on the boat plead for a rescue by satellite phone in the hours before their boat capsized.
The Greek authorities have opened two criminal investigations, one targeted at the alleged smugglers and another into the actions of the coast guard.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for these investigations to comply with international human rights standards of impartiality, independence, and effectiveness.
They have also urged Greek authorities to ensure that the Greek Ombudsman’s Office is provided with information and resources necessary to carry out its functions as the National Mechanism for Investigating Incidents of Arbitrariness, in relation to any disciplinary investigation.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have also raised concerns over the Greek authorities’ longstanding failure to ensure accountability for violent and unlawful pushbacks at the country’s borders. This raises concerns over their ability and willingness to carry out effective and independent investigations.