On Tuesday 21 May 2024, the trial of the 9 defendants (the ‘Pylos 9’) from the shipwreck of the fishing vessel “Adriana”, that occurred on 14 June 2023 in international waters near Pylos, is scheduled to take place before the Three Member Felony Court of Appeals of Kalamata.
The nine survivors have been arrested and unjustly accused, facing serious charges for membership in a criminal organization, facilitating unauthorized transport of foreigners in the Greek territory and causing the shipwreck that resulted in hundreds of people losing their lives.
The interrogator judge of Kalamata has closed the case, after only 6 months of investigation, rejecting the requests for annulment and the demand for further and deeper investigation into available evidence made by the legal team supporting the nine defendants[1], which would allow the real events behind the Pylos shipwreck to be revealed.
Extensive investigations, made mainly by national and international media outlets but also EU organizations[2], have proven the inconsistencies and deficits by the Greek and European authorities. Mounting evidence shows that the delay of the provision of help to the people in distress on Adriana[3] and the final operation by the Hellenic Coast Guard Vessel PPLS-920 to tow and pull the boat, which was originally denied, had contributed the most to the sinking of Adriana[4]. In addition, there are serious concerns about the value of some of the testimonies taken by the HCG officers from the survivors, which have been used to criminalize the Pylos 9[5]. Furthermore, the Greek authorities seem reluctant to conduct a proper investigation[6], while videos taken from PL-920 and many of the passengers, that would have captured the last moments before the shipwreck, haven’t been collected, were forgotten, or have been denied to be introduced as evidence in this case[7].
Despite the above, the Pylos 9 are facing several life sentences in prison in the upcoming trial.
We demand for:
- The immediate acquittal of the 9 survivors from all charges
- Their immediate release and their proper treatment and support as survivors of the shipwreck
- A thorough and independent investigation of the real events behind the ‘Pylos Shipwreck’
For more information, visit our website and follow our social media accounts
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[1] https://omniatv.com/853489883/diki-sto-trimeles-efeteio-kalamatas-me-ti-diadikasia-tis-amesis-klisis-proteinei-o-eisaggeleas-gia-toys-ennea-tis-pyloy/
[2] https://wearesolomon.com/mag/format/feature/it-was-already-too-late-frontex-blames-the-hellenic-coast-guard-for-the-pylos-shipwreck/
[3] https://wearesolomon.com/mag/focus-area/migration/they-are-urgently-asking-for-help-the-sos-that-was-ignored/
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jul/10/greek-shipwreck-hi-tech-investigation-suggests-coastguard-responsible-for-sinking
[5] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/12/egyptians-accused-of-pylos-shipwreck-deny-smuggling-charges-blame-greece
[6] https://www.theioi.org/ioi-news/current-news/the-greek-ombudsman-investigates-the-pylos-shipwreck-case
[7] https://justice4pylos.org/2023/07/the-technological-capacities-of-the-ship-ppls-920-render-absurd-any-no-footage-claims-vidpics/
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