ATHENS, Greece (AP) 鈥 A top European human rights official urged Greek authorities Tuesday to address claims of negligence in a 2023 boat disaster that killed hundreds of migrants off the coast of southern Greece.
Michael O鈥橣laherty, the Council of Europe鈥檚 human rights commissioner, cited recent findings by Greece鈥檚 Ombudsman that maintained Greek coast guard officers failed to prevent one of the Mediterranean鈥檚 deadliest migrant shipwrecks.
Hundreds of migrants died when the Adriana, an overcrowded fishing trawler, sank in international waters off Pylos in southern Greece in June 2023. Survivors claim the Greek coast guard failed to respond to initial distress calls before the vessel capsized 鈥 an assertion strongly disputed by the government.
Greek Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis found 鈥渃lear indications鈥 that senior coast guard officials disregarded imminent danger to the migrants.
鈥淭he Commissioner, who liaises closely with the Ombudsman, notes his important findings and encourages the authorities to take resolute action to ensure appropriate criminal and disciplinary accountability,鈥 O鈥橣laherty鈥檚 office said in a report Tuesday.
A copy of the report was provided to The Associated Press.
During his visit to Greece last week, O鈥橣laherty met with five government ministers and Cabinet officials as well as shipwreck survivors, their lawyers and advocacy groups.
An estimated were aboard the Adriana when it sank while traveling from Libya to Italy. Only 104 people survived, while 82 bodies were recovered. The rest were trapped inside the sinking trawler.
The government last week reaffirmed its full confidence in the coast guard鈥檚 efforts to protect Greece鈥檚 maritime borders and rescue operations at sea. It argued that the Ombudsman鈥檚 report had unfairly accepted allegations made by survivors 鈥渨ithout any reliable documentation.鈥
A last year dismissed a case against nine Egyptian shipwreck survivors accused of causing the sinking, ruling that it lacked jurisdiction because the incident occurred in international waters. ___
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