Four senior figures in the Greek coastguard, including its current commander, face criminal prosecution for negligent manslaughter connected to a 2023 migrant boat disaster, where approximately 650 individuals are believed to have drowned.
The fishing vessel Adriana sank off the Greek coast near Pylos, following claims from survivors that it capsized after authorities attempted a poorly executed towing operation.
While Greek authorities have consistently denied any accountability for the shipwreck, a naval appeal court prosecutor has indicated that the current head of the Hellenic coastguard, Vice Adm Tryfon Kontizas, along with three other senior officers, should stand trial.
The prosecution will address charges such as manslaughter by negligence in international waters, exposure to danger by failure to rescue, and repeated negligence leading to the deaths.
Having departed from Libya towards Italy in June 2023, the Adriana was under the surveillance of a Greek patrol vessel for 15 hours before its sinking. Some survivors asserted that the coastguard vessel inadvertently caused the boat to overturn by towing it too swiftly while it was unbalanced.
Although 82 bodies have been recovered, many more are feared lost. Earlier this year, 17 members of the Greek coastguard were recommended for prosecution, including the captain of the coastguard ship and the former head of the coastguard, Vice Adm Giorgos Alexandrakis.
Initially, Vice Adm Kontizas and the three other senior officers were not to be prosecuted, a decision which was contested by lawyers representing the survivors and families of the victims.
Despite the tragedy, Greece asserts that it upholds human rights and has successfully rescued over 250,000 individuals at sea over the past decade.
