Seventeen Greek coastguards charged over deadly migrant shipwreck
27 May 2025, 07:20
A naval court has charged 17 Greek coastguards over a migrant boat disaster that saw as many as 650 people drown in the Mediterranean Sea.
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The disaster took place when the overcrowded Adriana fishing vessel sank near Pylos, off the Greek coast, on June 14, 2023.
Greek authorities rejected the allegations against them.
Among the coastguards to face criminal charges is the ship’s captain, accused of "causing a shipwreck” which led to the deaths of “at least 82 people.”
While the official number of deaths is 82, it could be as high as 650.
The captain has also been charged with "dangerous interference of maritime transport" and "failure to provide assistance" to the migrant boat.
The entire crew has been charged with being complicit in the incident.
The legal team of the victims has welcomed the charges against the crew.
A statement read: "Almost two years after the Pylos shipwreck, the prosecution and referral to main investigation for felonies of 17 members of the Coast Guard, including senior officers of its leadership, constitutes a substantial and self-evident development in the course of vindication of the victims and the delivery of justice."
