A Greek Ombudsman has recommended disciplinary action against eight coastguard officers for alleged dereliction of duty in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks off Greece in which hundreds died in 2023.The inquiry
A Greek Ombudsman has recommended disciplinary action against eight coastguard officers for alleged dereliction of duty in one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks off Greece in which hundreds died in 2023.
The inquiry is the first to conclude on the circumstances surrounding the shipwreck off the southwestern coastal town of Pylos on June 14, 2023, which sank in plain sight of Greek coastguard authorities with about 750 people on board.
The trawler, named Ariana, had left Libya for Italy and was monitored by the Greek coastguard for nearly 12 hours before capsizing and sinking in international waters. Only 104 people are known to have survived.
In a report released Monday, Ombudsman Andreas Pottakis said there were "clear indications" that eight senior coastguard officers had a case to answer for dereliction of search and rescue duties, and which resulted in endangering lives of those aboard the Ariana.
The Greek coastguard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Coastguard authorities have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing over the handling of the case that raised questions about the European Union's tactics on migration.
The inquiry was launched by the Ombudsman in June 2023 after the Greek coastguard rejected his calls to launch
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