*First Published on Zawia3.com
Nine Egyptian survivors of the Adriana shipwreck face trial in Greece on human smuggling charges amidst allegations of Greek Coast Guard negligence and pushback policies.
On May 21, nine Egyptians will stand trial in southern Greece on charges related to one of the largest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. The nine survivors, who will be tried in the city of Kalamata, escaped the sinking of the fishing boat “Adriana” in international waters near Pylos on Greece’s southwestern coast.
The fishing boat “Adriana” capsized early on June 14, 2023, resulting in the death of approximately 650 people. The boat had departed from Libya five days earlier, carrying around 750 migrants and asylum seekers, most of whom were from Egypt, Syria, and Pakistan. Only 104 migrants survived, and 82 bodies were recovered.
The nine Egyptian defendants, aged between their thirties and forties, face charges including human smuggling, participating in a criminal organization, and causing the shipwreck. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment and fines of hundreds of thousands of euros.
Greek Authorities’ Contradictions
A campaign called “Free Pylos 9” has been organized by activists and rights advocates to support the nine Egyptians who survived the shipwreck and are set to be tried on May 21. The campaign, in a statement received by Zawia Thalitha, indicated that Greek authorities are trying to cover up this tragic maritime disaster in modern European history by prosecuting the survivors.
The campaign highlighted that extensive investigations by civil society organizations, local and international media, the European Union Ombudsman’s office, and the Frontex Human Rights Office (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) revealed contradictions in the Greek authorities’ narrative and their clear responsibility for this tragedy.
The campaign confirmed that the Greek Coast Guard was aware of the distress situation of the “Adriana” but ignored their legal obligation to rescue the passengers, ultimately attempting to tow the ship out of their jurisdiction, leading to its capsize and the death of over 650 people.
The campaign pointed out that Greek investigation authorities repeatedly denied the defense lawyers’ requests for a more comprehensive investigation into crucial available evidence, which could exonerate the nine survivors and shed light on the real perpetrators of this tragedy.
According to circulated testimonies, the boat sailed with around 750 undocumented migrants from the Libyan coast near Tobruk five days before the incident. Each individual paid $4,500 to the smugglers. During the journey, the boat lost its correct coordinates, leading to it getting lost in the Mediterranean and running out of water and food supplies, resulting in the death of several Pakistani students and the boat’s captain. According to an investigation by Al-Araby using open sources and navigational route maps, the Greek authorities failed to rescue the migrants after receiving their distress call, then began assisting the next day with a single Coast Guard ship, which attempted to tow the boat, leading to its complete sinking. Separate investigations by the independent group Solomon, the interdisciplinary investigation platform Forensic Architecture, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, El País, Lighthouse Reports, and The Washington Post documented similar claims.
Egyptians as Scapegoats
Vicky Angelidou, one of the defense lawyers for the nine Egyptians, argues that the “Adriana” shipwreck was not an accidental incident but a deliberate and organized killing by the Greek state due to its longstanding pushback policies in the Aegean Sea.
Pushback policies are actions and strategies implemented by coast guard authorities in some EU countries, like Greece, to prevent undocumented migrants from entering and force them back to the countries they came from, contradicting international human rights standards that advocate for respecting migrants’ rights.
Angelidou told Zawia Thalitha that the Greek state decided to remove those on board the ship from its territory at any cost and then tried to cover it up, which led the government to accuse the nine surviving Egyptians without any reliable evidence.
She continued: “The judicial authorities quickly closed the investigation without taking any action after the first 15 days and rejected all requests from the defense lawyers to collect more evidence, despite having no justification. Now, the same authorities are preparing to swiftly convict the Egyptians to continue their deadly policies with Europe’s blessing.” According to a defense team member who spoke with Zawia Thalitha, the charges against the nine Egyptians include: “criminal organization, illegal transportation of foreigners not entitled to enter the country in a manner that could endanger a person and result in fatal consequences, and causing the sinking of a vessel in a manner that could lead to death.” These charges, especially the latter two, have placed the accused survivors in severe circumstances due to the fatalities, subjecting them to nearly a year of pretrial detention since June 15, 2023.
Angelidou explained: “Due to the lack of any evidence against the nine Egyptians and the limited investigation, we as the defense have submitted various requests during the investigation phase, including a memorandum when the investigation was completed, asking for it to continue, but they were all rejected. We objected to procedural errors, noting that the Egyptian government merely provided criminal records for the nine convicted citizens.”
Angelidou revealed the extent of the violations against the detainees in Greece, saying: “There were various violations regarding evidence collection and expert opinions on the shipwreck and translation of essential documents. The main problem, in my opinion, is that Greek courts do not have jurisdiction over this case.” She emphasized that the nine Egyptians should not be prosecuted at all, as they were ordinary passengers transported like the others, who paid smugglers, waited in Libya with the rest, and then traveled like everyone else.
Lack of Support from Cairo Authorities
Regarding attempts to support the accused Egyptians in Greek prisons, Nafly Bella Villa Trova, one of the founders of the “Pylos 9” solidarity campaign, said they “launched a fundraising campaign to collect money and support the accused, with part of the funds going towards their expenses and sending books, clothes, and hygiene products as needed, while the rest supports their legal defense before the Greek criminal court.”
She continued: “In general, the campaign aims to support the accused by raising awareness about their case and the charges against them, which unfortunately is not an isolated case. The nine accused are among over 2,000 migrants currently detained in Greece after being accused or convicted as smugglers,” pointing out that there is a worrying trend in Greece of unfairly convicting migrants for smuggling crimes based on often limited and questionable evidence, with those convicted of “smuggling” or “facilitating illegal entry of migrants” currently serving the longest prison sentences in Greek prisons compared to other crimes.
Trova explained to Zawia Thalitha that the criminalization of undocumented migrants is often hidden, with their voices silenced through detention and long prison sentences, allowing authorities in EU countries to violate their rights further.
On the other hand, Marion Bouchetel, another campaign founder, noted that “the Egyptian authorities have not provided sufficient support to the accused Egyptians in Greek prisons, with only one visit made, and no substantial support offered since.” She added: “Given that the accused were fleeing Egypt seeking asylum in Europe, it’s not surprising they did not receive support from their government when facing charges abroad. This is often the case for asylum seekers, making international solidarity with them more critical.”
Bouchetel emphasized that the treatment of migrants and the unfolding humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean are direct results of EU policies aimed at stopping and deterring migrants from reaching Europe at any cost. Over the past four years, the Greek Coast Guard has increased its pushback practices at sea, leading to more violence, deaths, and disappearances. As a result, more migrants attempt to cross directly to Italy, increasing the distance and exposing their lives to greater dangers along these routes.
She continued: “The illegal and life-threatening practices of the Greek Coast Guard as part of its border operations are not new and have already led to repeated condemnations of Greece by the European Court of Human Rights. Currently, at least 32 cases related to eight pushback operations are pending a decision before the same court,” noting that the “Pylos” tragedy stands as another case in a long series of non-rescue and maritime crimes.
The “Pylos 9” campaign demands the immediate exoneration of the nine survivors from all charges, their release from prison, and appropriate support as shipwreck survivors. The campaign also calls for a thorough and independent investigation into the real cause of the shipwreck and an immediate end to the systematic and deadly violence at the borders.
International and Local Reactions
On June 16, 2023, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) issued a preliminary statement saying that “Greek authorities failed to announce a search and rescue operation and deploy a sufficient number of ships in a timely manner to save the migrants.”
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch condemned the incident, noting that official investigations “made little meaningful progress on credible allegations that actions and failures of the Greek Coast Guard contributed to the sinking and loss of lives.” The organizations interviewed 21 survivors, five relatives of five missing persons, representatives of the Greek Coast Guard, Greek police, NGOs, the UN, and international agencies and organizations.
The organizations found that in the 15 hours between Greek authorities receiving the first alert that “Adriana” was in their search and rescue area and when it capsized, these authorities failed to mobilize appropriate rescue resources. The authorities were clearly aware of distress indicators (such as overcrowding and insufficient food and water aboard Adriana). Survivors said they were aware of the presence of bodies on the ship and requests for rescue. The survivors’ testimonies challenged the authorities’ claim that those aboard Adriana did not want to be rescued, which would not have absolved the Greek Coast Guard from their obligation to take all necessary measures to ensure safety at sea.
While human rights groups in Europe rally in solidarity with the nine Egyptians, Egyptian authorities have issued only a few statements regarding the incident. Egyptian Minister of Immigration, Soha Gendi, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged Egyptian youth to avoid such perilous journeys. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was closely monitoring the situation through its embassy in Athens but did not announce the dispatch of a team to defend its accused citizens.