{"id":4279,"date":"2025-09-29T08:46:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/?p=4279"},"modified":"2025-09-29T08:46:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T08:46:42","slug":"exclusive-lawyer-defends-coast-guard-officers-accused-in-deadly-pylos-shipwreck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/exclusive-lawyer-defends-coast-guard-officers-accused-in-deadly-pylos-shipwreck\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Lawyer defends Coast Guard officers accused in deadly Pylos shipwreck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than two years after the Pylos shipwrec<\/a>k\u2014the deadliest in modern Greek history, with possibly more than 600 men, women, and children lost\u2014clear answers about its causes remain elusive<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June, Solomon met with attorney Thrasivoulos Kontaxis at his office in Athens. Kontaxis is defending the 13 uniformed officers (the captain<\/a> and crew) of patrol vessel PPLS-920, the only Coast Guard ship present when the tragedy unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of Solomon\u2019s investigation<\/a>, he set out the defense\u2019s position on what happened on June 14, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is the full transcript of the interview, lightly edited for clarity. The accompanying report\u2014where the defense\u2019s claims are weighed against the findings of the Greek Ombudsman, whose months-long investigation identified serious failures by senior Coast Guard officials, and to which Solomon gained access\u2014can be found [here].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of Solomon\u2019s coverage of the Pylos shipwreck, the deadliest in Greece\u2019s modern history, is available [in Greek<\/a>] and [in English<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n



Q: Do you represent the captain  and all members of the 920\u2019s crew?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Including the members of the Special Missions Unit (KEA)?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Yes\u2014everyone who was on the 920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: And, practically speaking, you were informed about the case\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Much later, months later, because the officers believed that, precisely because they hadn\u2019t done anything, there would be no issue of their implication, disciplinary or otherwise. When, at some point, the Greek Ombudsman began seeking answers, they contacted me. We received a formal notice  from the Ombudsman stating: you are being summoned, you are accused of intentional homicide. A parenthesis here: my view of the Ombudsman is known\u2014they are professional rights-advocates, in the sense that they hold a perception of things that is divorced  from the actual facts. The fact that I defend [then-captain of PPLS-920, Miltiadis] Zouridakis does not mean I can say thingsomot that don\u2019t correspond to reality. So when I asked them: why would I, at the very moment I\u2019m rescuing 104 people, help others drown?\u2014there was no answer. Therefore, the main question is: why intentional homicide? It could be negligence\u2013that I was not capable, that I didn\u2019t take appropriate measures, that I made a mistake. Let\u2019s examine that, investigate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Does the report actually say \u201cintentional\u201d?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Indeed. And not only that\u2013it was forwarded to the Naval Court, and it says \u201cintentional.\u201d That\u2019s where we fundamentally diverged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What was the Ombudsman asking?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> They were operating under the notion that he committed intentional homicide, that they went there to kill them. And when I saw in the report that they claim the same things\u2014excuse me, but I thought, . I even told Mr. Zouridakis to file a complaint against the Ombudsman \u2026 but he told me that these people obviously don\u2019t understand, they don\u2019t comprehend, they have nothing against me personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Today, are  the captain  and crew still on active duty \u2014are <\/strong>they serving on the same vessel?
A:<\/strong> They are all serving  as normal. But no, not on the same vessel. The captain was promoted a few days after [the shipwreck]; it was his turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So is he back at sea, or in an office?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Are any of your clients under disciplinary review, sidelined\u2014\u201cbenched\u201d as they say?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> No. All are active and serving normally. In any case, the Ombudsman could only [intervene] on the disciplinary dimension. The problem was that, while the Naval Court had already taken up the case, the Ombudsman also intervened. That was the Ombudsman\u2019s second foul, if you will, because when there is a judicial process under way, he cannot intervene himself. Yet he did, and he had an opinion as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: How did communication between the Ombudsman and your clients take place?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Through me. At some point we received a summons saying: you are called to give a statement. [My clients] submitted a full memorandum on what transpired\u2013and there was some tension [around this]\u2013and then the memorandum was forwarded to the disciplinary leadership of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs  and to the Naval Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why was there tension?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Because when you realize someone is emotionally charged\u2014while holding an institutional role that demands impartiality and a search for the truth (and none of us knows the truth; we\u2019re all trying, after the fact, to find out what happened)\u2014you understand he\u2019s \u201ccarrying out an agenda.\u201d I told them exactly that: what you\u2019re doing is inconceivable. Ask me what happened, write your report, characterize it legally\u2014as intentional or negligent\u2014and send it along. But to tell me in advance [that it was intentional]\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Yes, but now we have charges brought by judicial authorities\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Yes, by an investigating magistrate and a prosecutor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So one can\u2019t ascribe the same motives.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Not motives, but dysfunctions. In the Greek justice system, the problem is not corruption, as people out there say; its inadequacy. And the fact that it operates under pressure from the media. A kind of unwitting  entrapment. They\u2019re pressured. The very pressure you and I exert from our couches, shouting \u201cthe prosecutor must intervene,\u201d pressures judges first and foremost. \u201cLet this cup pass from me\u201d\u2014they don\u2019t want the pressure; the case will move along; others will handle it and justice will be served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So were you surprised by the filing of charges?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Knowing  how [Greek] justice operates, no. Based on the evidence record, yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: In your view, what are the actual facts?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> The facts are very simple: a vessel, the 920, left from Chania. Now, you\u2019ll ask me why [a vessel was dispatched] from Chania and not from Pylos\u2014that\u2019s not within Zouridakis\u2019s [remit]; he received an order. There is a valid question as to why they didn\u2019t dispatch  a different  vessel. When Zouridakis raised this with his superiors , their answer was: \u201cyou are a very fast vessel.\u201d But that speed creates other issues. There is  all this talk about towing  going around, but [the 920]  does not have the capacity to tow that particular vessel [the trawler]\u2014or even one of comparable  size to its own. It can tow, if I recall correctly, just its own RIB (inflatable boat). And that has already been proven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Still, captain Zouridakis did wonder, \u201cwhy are they sending us\u201d\u2026<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Yes, he did, in the sense of whether there might be another vessel closer. And their answer\u2014which he  considered a reasonable one \u2014was that [the 920]  was chosen for its speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So they received the order to depart\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> To depart from Chania; and as they approached [the fishing boat], they were in constant communication with the JRCC [the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Piraeus]. When they got there, what struck them was that the trawler  was overcrowded  and rolling, even though the sea was calm. Two other vessels, merchant ships, had already been there earlier and given statements. They tried to offer assistance; it was refused; supplies  were thrown back into the sea. What happened, and this is obviously where the confusion with the \u201ctowing\u201d arises, is that, in order to avoid the two vessels [PPLS-920 and the fishing boat] colliding, they brought the fishing boat closer and, to maintain a distance, they threw and tied a rope so communication could be established. Communication was impossible; some were shouting; there were scuffles; some wanted nothing to do with it; they kept repeating, like a refrain: \u201cItaly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What happened next?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> [The 920\u2019s captain ] requested instructions from the Center, disconnected the rope, and the orders he received were: \u201cwait, move away, wait.\u201d That\u2019s where any involvement of Zouridakis ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Is this based on his testimony alone, or is there corroborating material?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> There is no recorded evidence  because the [PPLS-920\u2019s] camera was not functioning. You may ask: isn\u2019t it suspicious that it was not working? No. Because 1.5 to 2 years ago we submitted official documents from Zouridakis proving he had been requesting:, \u201cguys, I absolutely need you to fix the camera.\u201d Again\u2014\u201cthe camera, guys.\u201d Repeatedly, through the proper channels, officially. He has filed all these documents. He recorded what he could on his phone. He was sending images to the JRCC  from his mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Isn\u2019t it odd, though, that the camera had been  broken for two years on a new vessel purchased in 2021? Especially the cameras, given that Frontex, following all the allegations against Greece over pushbacks, had requested  that Greek Coast Guard operations be filmed. And now, a brand-new, state-of-the-art vessel worth millions of euros\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> It had problems from the moment it was purchased\u2026 And not only with the camera\u2014there were other technical issues too. Zouridakis had previously served on a Lambro that was  totally difunctional.  He told  me that when he was posted to this one [the 920], he felt as if  he\u2019d boarded an airplane\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why, then, send a Coast Guard vessel  from so far away that has no  recording capability?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> That\u2019s not something Zouridakis can answer. It\u2019s a matter for the coordination center and the leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: On what orders was the 920 dispatched to the scene?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> To see what\u2019s going on. The 920 assumed that the fishing boat would have departed [by the time they arrived],continuing toward Italy. Otherwise, you assist, you assess, you act. The 920  remained at a distance; what Zouridakis and others report is that there were tensions aboard the boat, leading to constant movement of the people onboard. And at some point, because of the rolling, it capsized. As for \u201ctowing,\u201d we have proven technically that by design [the 920] does not have that capability. When we showed the Ombudsman the manufacturer\u2019s brochure, that\u2019s what caused the irritation I mentioned earlier. Neither the Ombudsman  nor the Naval Court prosecutor ask us for the manual,  which clearly shows it cannot tow. And even if it could\u2014tow [the fishing boat]  where? Zouridakis put it like this: \u201cWhere would I take it?\u201d We\u2019re 70 km away [from the closest shore].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Are you referring to the alleged second towing attempt, which survivors say caused the shipwreck?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I also have statements from others saying there was no towing at all. Obviously those who speak of towing are confusing it with the initial  [attempt at  mooring].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Since the cameras weren\u2019t working, how did the captain  have a view of what was happening outside the vessel?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> He had turned on the searchlight, which remained constantly trained on the fishing boat, and he was recording with his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Of course, the cameras weren\u2019t the only thing not working\u2014for example, the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR)\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> There were other issues too. For instance, the mooring hooks weren\u2019t in the correct position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: But other things are missing as well\u2014communications with the operations center that should have been recorded\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Those matters concern the coordination center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: How was Mr. Zouridakis communicating with the center?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> On his mobile phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why not with the official communications system, given there\u2019s an obligation to keep records?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> He used that too, but it  didn\u2019t always have a signal. Sometimes one [system] worked, sometimes the other. But the recording equipment is located at the coordination center; that\u2019s not his responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Yes, but we would have answers if the communications had been properly recorded\u2026<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> I completely agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why was he also using   Viber on his personal phone to communicate?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Because sometimes one system wouldn\u2019t work and sometimes the other. There was no other reason\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Isn\u2019t all this a bit odd\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I\u2019d agree with you. But suspicions or conjectures are not evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Do those phone messages exist?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Yes. The phones [of the crew] were seized immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Let\u2019s take a step back. The picture that has emerged  is that of an unseaworthy trawler, lacking  a proper captain and crew, overloaded, lurching\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> We found the same type of vessel  in Egypt; we photographed it, identical, 250 tons. So that should settle  the debate about towing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Even though there was already imagery from [the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center ] in Rome from 11 a.m., 15 hours later we end up with hundreds of people dead. Both European and Greek authorities knew the situation, and 15 hours later hundreds were at the bottom of the sea. Could they have been saved? Operationally, what went wrong?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I can\u2019t answer that, and I never discussed it with Zouridakis. With Zouridakis I discussed only what he did in the field and any potential responsibilities of his. He told me that the fact the trawler  even made it as far as it did, was a miracle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: But if  he saw the condition [the trawler] was in\u2026<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> He saw that it was rolling \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Did he send any signal to the Center in Piraeus saying: we don\u2019t like what we\u2019re seeing with this vessel\u2013send everything you have so we can save them?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s recorded. He described  exactly the situation . He did not specify  the number of people because it wasn\u2019t clear, and he asked for instructions\u2014what should I do? And they told him: remain  two miles [off]. And while he remained with the searchlight trained on [the fishing boat], suddenly there was chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What were the orders?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> To remain and monitor [the fishing boat\u2019s] course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: But for a long time it had no course.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Zouridakis said the following: [the trawler]  made attempts to set off; at certain moments its engine stopped; and whenever it started, it headed toward Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> According  to official records, regarding the time the boat sank, based on survivors\u2019 testimonies, the Coast Guard vessel moved away and continued illuminating the spot after the capsize.<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> That\u2019s not true; no one  says that; I don\u2019t know of such a claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I mean survivor testimonies.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> No one  says that. Show me the testimony; immediately after the capsize, the rescue operation began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why is there roughly a half-hour gap in the recordings and in the deck logbook [between the sinking and the start of the rescue]?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Those who were rescued\u2014we have so many statements from survivors\u2014aside from two who say there were no lifejackets (and indeed there weren\u2019t enough for everyone on the Coast Guard vessel), say that the rescue operation began immediately\u2014the very next second. And in fact, if you look at the coordination center\u2019s recording, there is panic because it capsized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What did Zouridakis tell the coordination center, and what did they tell him when the [fishing boat] capsized?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> He informed them it had capsized, and they told him to proceed to rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: With a vessel that wasn\u2019t a rescue ship, it didn\u2019t even have proper lifesaving gear.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> No, it wasn\u2019t. It wasn\u2019t a large open sea patrol vessel  with rescue equipment. One Special Forces officer who was observing said: \u201cGuys, they\u2019ve sunk\u2014guys, they\u2019ve sunk.\u201d Why would [the rescue operation] start half an hour later? That makes no sense. Based on [the crew\u2019s] testimonies, they immediately gave survivors their own clothes\u2014they stripped to their underwear and gave them [their clothes]to 12 people; they lowered the RIB. The real problem was different, it was practical: even though the boat doesn\u2019t have a propeller but a waterjet, they feared cutting someone\u2019s hands; they couldn\u2019t see in the dark with the RIB; they were afraid of going over people  [adrift in the water]. That was everyone\u2019s anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> Did Mr. Zouridakis raise any objection at any stage\u2014for example, \u201csend more vessels; we\u2019re not a rescue ship,\u201d etc.?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> No. And he couldn\u2019t. This was not  a\u201crescue\u201d mission, as you put it, but a monitoring one. TheAfter the  two merchant ships that had been there earlier, reported to the  the operations room that there was no willingness to accept help, they told [Zouridakis]: stay there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Still  this was a boat without a flag, captain, or crew\u2014overloaded. Regardless of orders, doesn\u2019t he, as captain, have to assess with his own eyes the situation he sees at sea?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> All such boats are the same, with the same problem, every day. It\u2019s a given. There is no migrant vessel that is seaworthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Doesn\u2019t that mean that in all such cases the order should be to rescue?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> There must be a rescue. But it couldn\u2019t be done by force. Legally, you cannot carry out a forced [rescue].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You\u2019re saying that before the shipwreck there was no possibility of attempting a rescue?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Legally, if people refuse, under these conditions, at that location, etc., you cannot forcibly transfer them aboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> But even so, you can still have all available assets nearby, ready to rescue if needed.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> That was not  Zouridakis\u2019s responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: I\u2019d like to return to the gaps and the many strange coincidences, if I may. Cameras not working; recorders not working; migrants\u2019 phones disappearing and reappearing months later, no forensic report yet from the police on their contents; while by law the Center must record communications with the 920 and the <\/strong>Adriana<\/em><\/strong>, we have interruptions and gaps at the most critical times\u2014that is, from the moment of contact until the time of sinking\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I have no information regarding the [migrants\u2019] phones\u2014it doesn\u2019t concern us\u2014neither whether they were found nor where. The crew\u2019s phones went to forensics. The photos, everything, are at the Forensic Science Division of the Police As for survivors\u2019 data\u2014their phones were not confiscated  by Zouridakis; I don\u2019t know what happened. But what\u2019s being implied is that something happened afterward to cover things up. If the state were so organized, I assure you we would not be sitting here today. It is impossible for the state to coordinate [such a cover up] \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: From Zouridakis\u2019s side, when did he inform internally that the cameras weren\u2019t working, do something about it\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> A year and a half before the incident \u2013 he filed  at least three reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So, when the vessel was dispatched, the leadership knew there would be no way to record\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> That is a  logical conclusion\u2026 Everyone was informed [by those reports].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> But given the allegations\u2014towing, pushbacks, and more\u2014doesn\u2019t it raise questions as to why a vessel with non-functioning recording equipment was sent?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> Perhaps, but to avoid recording what exactly? Let me play devil\u2019s advocate\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Possible  unlawful practices\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Which ones? They were in international waters. There was no pushback. If there had been towing and anything happened during towing, the first question is: towing toward where?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> Perhaps<\/strong> to restart the engine so they could continue toward Italy\u2026<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> But first of all, the [PPLS 920] didn\u2019t have ropes, that\u2019s certified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What about the blue rope\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> We\u2019ve proven this: those are mooring lines, used in  port, not towing lines. To tow it in order to restart the engine\u2014no one has testified to that. To tow it to Italy or to Greece\u2014the distance is far too great. So what would be concealed? There\u2019s nothing to conceal. The point you made\u2014why didn\u2019t a larger OPV vessel  or other boats go\u2014that I can understand\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Senior Coast Guard officials, including the current chief, were not indicted. Is that unfair, in your view\u2014legally and ethically\u2014toward your clients? After all,  if everything was done on orders \u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> My answer is this: if we set aside the involvement of the [PPLS-920], which may comply with certain operational criteria\u2014and the Coast Guard can come out and say, \u201cgentlemen, we had no other assets available\u201d\u2014the orders given to Zouridakis were \u201cwait, do not move away, and monitor.\u201d So I don\u2019t have an unlawful order carried out, or something else I was supposed to do. As for broader questions about what responsibilities the operations center has, I have no opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So your defense line will be that your clients were simply following orders?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I\u2019m saying it: in reality, Zouridakis did  not act. He did not do, or omit to do, anything. They told him: \u201cgo, approach, check.\u201d He replied: \u201cI\u2019m checking; they don\u2019t want [assistance]; I\u2019m throwing the rope to stay in coordination with them; I\u2019m removing the rope.\u201d They told him: \u201csince they don\u2019t want [help], stay and wait.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> On a human level: what happened happened. After the fact, did they say anything to you\u2014what a tragedy this was; could something else have been done; what orders I was given\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> It\u2019s shocking, as they told me, that they could hear the voices of the people who were falling [into the sea]. One crew member told me that because the searchlight was sweeping left and right, they located some people hours later, as they had drifted off in another direction. He had turned on his phone\u2019s torch so he could see. And he told me: \u201cthat image will stay with me forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: There was a sense, according to our sources at first, that nothing would happen\u2014because if even one coast guard officer were indicted, the entire corps would get the message and down to the last officer fear there is a risk of being prosecuted.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> And yet, here we are\u2014Zouridakis is indicted. The fair thing would have been to bring a charge of negligent homicide, and to examine the leadership\u2019s responsibilities\u2014 those who were giving the orders. Essentially, the one and only order: stay there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Is there, however, an implicit philosophy and informal instruction to prioritize preventing migrants from entering the country?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know. Zouridakis never told me anything of the sort either. He never told me he had an informal instruction to find a way to drive them away, to make them go to Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Mr. Zouridakis was sent on a mission without being able to prove what he did based on the cameras and his communications with the Center. Is there no frustration toward his superiors and the coordination center for not having that capability?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> No, because that was the norm  before as well. And in other rescues. With that very vessel, in previous months, he rescued other migrants south and north of Crete, and even received a commendation. This is [the vessel] we have; this is what we do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What was the answer as to why the systems weren\u2019t repaired?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> There was no answer. The requests were forwarded to the manufacturer\u2014and, from what he told me, [the manufacturer] wasn\u2019t very serious. But this didn\u2019t trouble him. A few days earlier, he had rescued other migrants. He has submitted all of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: So no one bears explicit responsibility for the deaths of hundreds?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I\u2019ll answer bluntly: no. If a large open sea patrol vessel had been there, it could have rescued more people\u2014on the assumption, of course, that it would have anticipated  the capsize. But [the trawler] had reached that position all the way from Libya. So someone would have had to foresee that this would happen, and then send the larger vessel to rescue more. As for causing the shipwreck\u2014no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What about the rescue? Why wasn\u2019t there an alert to all nearby vessels for assistance\u2014and only to the <\/strong>Mayan Queen<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I don\u2019t know. If that\u2019s what happened, it could be an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Has there been any contact from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs with your client?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> None. I\u2019m the only one speaking with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: And the crew members?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> They\u2019re anxious about their jobs. \u201cI have a child; I\u2019ve taken out a loan\u2014what happens now?\u201d Their questions are very practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Do they themselves say that something could have been done differently?<\/strong>
<\/strong>A:<\/strong> No. They\u2019re frustrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: About the orders?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> They did not receive any order to do something they shouldn\u2019t have done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Allow me to return to what creates the impression of a cover-up: the non-functioning Voyage Data Recorder; the cameras that didn\u2019t work; the migrants\u2019 phones that have not been examined; inadequate rescue equipment; the, inexplicable to many, choice of the 920; the lack of recorded communications with the Center during the critical period from 11:30 p.m. until the sinking shortly after 2 a.m.; and despite the obligation to record; the absence of recordings of communications with the fishing boat. Add it all up and there seem to be two possibilities: either complete breakdown in a service  so well-equipped and prominent, or intent and cover-up. What do you say?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Because I was also involved in the Mati case, let me remind you that nothing worked properly there either: the police weren\u2019t communicating with the fire service; the phones didn\u2019t work; there were no recordings. So this doesn\u2019t surprise me. I can agree that all this raises  suspicion and reflexes. But cover up what? We must identify what the purpose  would have been, in order to see whether all this actually served it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You\u2019re saying that no such purpose  emerges from the information, testimonies, and recorded\u2014albeit partially\u2014communications with the Center?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Like you, what I have are after-the-fact witness statements about what happened. The same person who initially said, \u201cI saw absolutely nothing,\u201d later in Malakasa, without an interpreter, claimed \u201cthey towed us,\u201d describing stories with incredible detail. Most said the engine would start, then stop; then tried  to start again; the boat was rolling; I heard a noise and it tipped over. The rolling  was due to people moving from one side to the other. But I\u2019m trying to understand\u2014what would anyone want to cover up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Wouldn\u2019t it be positive for the case to go to trial  so that the truth, as you say, can come to light?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Would you want to stand accused in court of rape without having done it\u2014when it was consensual?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: On the other hand, can you imagine the case being shelved\u2014what message would that send about justice for so many dead?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> But if there is no evidence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: If I were accused of rape, I would be furious  if I knew I could prove my innocence but I can\u2019t because the cameras and systems weren\u2019t working\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> He can prove his innocence. The allegation circulating through testimonies in the media and from some organizations\u2014an allegation no one makes in a formal statement\u2014is about  towing. I do not have a single survivor\u2019s statement mentioning towing at the Naval Court or to the Ombudsman. They refer only to the initial mooring. Why didn\u2019t they say it there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Out of all the  witnesses, you say no one speaks of towing?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Correct. Everyone refers to whether the engine was working; to the people who drowned; that they weren\u2019t allowed to move; that those who asked for help were discouraged and moved to the other side of the boat. As for towing, they refer only to the mooring rope I mentioned\u2014at the beginning\u2014to stabilize the two boats and assess the situation. The Coast Guard commissioned experts to reach a conclusion, and a law firm to assess whether they could intervene on the boat. There was no such possibility, this is stated in law. The lingering question is \u201ctowing.\u201d But no one speaks of towing. Zouridakis says to me: \u201cWould they give me an order to tow without a rope? Second: what would I tow, since I don\u2019t have the capability? I would have said no. Third: where would I take it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Yes, but reports of a vessel in distress exist from the first communication with Rome at 11 a.m.\u2014including the presence of dead [passengers]. How can a vessel that has declared distress, been located by Frontex, and has been lurching for hours end up at 2 a.m. with only a patrol boat alongside\u2014one carrying Special Forces for a different mission and with very limited rescue capabilities?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I have no problem agreeing with you on that. But Zouridakis was ordered and left from Chania. It wasn\u2019t his call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: The \u201cjust following orders\u201d argument has been heard from Abu Ghraib to concentration camps: I\u2019m a soldier and I just execute orders\u2026<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> But there was no unlawful order which he executed. The analogy you\u2019re making doesn\u2019t hold. In those other cases, the order was \u201ckill,\u201d and the defense \u201cI killed because I was ordered to.\u201d Here, there is no order requiring [Zouridakis] to assess its  legality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: The order to remain on site and observe\u2014to what end?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> There was no explanation. It\u2019s obvious\u2014you know this from your [military] service \u2014no one explains why you have to do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What did Zouridakis himself believe he was sent there to do?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> The same as always: to see whether the vessel  entered Greek territorial waters, or continued toward Italy. Stay there and monitor. He had no unlawful order. No order to do anything. He had no rope, no capability\u2014and [if even if he had such a towing capability] where would he take it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: If it had been a luxury yacht or a cruise ship, do you believe the treatment would have been the same? Would tourists\u2019 lives have been lost?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Absolutely. The situation is dire. Everyone is furious. Zouridakis told me it would have happened\u2014if not there, a little before or after. When I asked him he told me: \u201cI pulled back 100 meters so that [the 920] did not create extra waves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: How about justice for the victims?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Shouldn\u2019t there also be  justice for the Mati [fires]? For the Tempi [train crash]?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Are only the ruthless smugglers to blame, as the Ministry [of Maritime Affairs] explicitly said?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Are they not to blame? If the fishing boat had been one mile\u2014five miles\u2014further out, outside the rescue zone, outside Greek jurisdiction, who would be responsible? Since it was inside, I cannot intervene; I cannot seize the vessel; we\u2019re talking only about rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Yet many\u2014including Coast Guard personnel\u2014said that in such a situation you don\u2019t ask; rescue takes precedence.<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> That\u2019s not correct. Otherwise, we would stand accused every time for not  carrying out a forced rescue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why \u201cforced\u201d? Who was communicating with the fishing boat?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> We don\u2019t know. Boarding is prohibited. If they refuse,  you do not intervene. Except in cases of piracy, requested assistance, or drug trafficking. In this specific case we had only one option:  rescue, not search [the boat]. The legal framework is clear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: With whom was Zouridakis communicating on the fishing boat?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> With someone who spoke little English. From what we understood, it probably wasn\u2019t the captain but a smuggler\u2014who likely drowned. They were saying, \u201cDon\u2019t come near me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: If they had requested it themselves? How would they have been transferred on Zouridakis\u2019s vessel?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> They couldn\u2019t have; other vessels would have been needed. Legally, if you ask me, not from a humanitarian standpoint, the answer is very straightforward: I would have to foresee that it would sink and foresee that a rescue would be needed. Since it had reached that point, however, I can reasonably believe it would continue. Which doesn\u2019t concern Zouridakis. Greece has three Offshore Patrol Vessels; if I wanted to cover myself and there was intent, I would say they were in the Aegean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: And how is the refusal of assistance established?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> From the fact  that whoever was in charge of the boat was communicating on VHF. Are we supposed  to interview everyone onboard? Hold a referendum at that moment? These are unreasonable  notions. One person  was in control of  the vessel and operated the  VHF. And he said: I don\u2019t want [help].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Does [Zouridakis] intend to appear in public?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> He\u2019s in Chania now. He\u2019s not some thug, nor a hot-headed officer  in the way you might imagine. He was a merchant navy captain, joined the Coast Guard, served in Crete, and carried out many rescue operations. He has three children. He\u2019s furious, distressed\u2014\u201cwhat I do isn\u2019t appreciated; I didn\u2019t do anything wrong.\u201d Now all sorts of  conspiracy  theories are circulating \u2014the same with  Mati, in the past, or  with Tempi today. The same is happening here as well. But what\u2019s supposed to have happened  here? That we\u2019re trying to cover for Zouridakis who supposedly towed them? If it had been negligence, Zouridakis would say: \u201cthe handling of the vessel wasn\u2019t good; there were waves; they wouldn\u2019t cooperate; and they sank.\u201d That would be a very simple legal answer. It would have been treated far more leniently\u2014and, I\u2019d tell you, he would have been acquitted from the outset. But now, they are going for intentional homicide. A camera would have helped [his case]. What is there to cover up? That the job wasn\u2019t done well? What job? That we didn\u2019t send the larger [Coast Guard vessel]? That wasn\u2019t Zouridakis\u2019s responsibility. That he allegedly  towed the trawler? That would amount to negligence at worst. His home address has also leaked, and people began gathering outside, harassing  him. Now he lists  [the naval base in] Souda as his address for security  reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What are the next steps?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> The Ombudsman\u2019s report has been forwarded to the Coast Guard; they haven\u2019t called us; the case  could  still be shelved. A Naval Court prosecutor has brought this criminal charge, so at some point we\u2019ll appear before the investigative magistrate. There, we\u2019ll set out the same points. The magistrate will collect all the material and send it back to the prosecutor\u2014either the one who filed  the charges or another\u2014to decide what recommendation  to make to the council, which consists of three judges meeting behind closed doors. They will decide who is indicted, whether the case will go to court, and on what charges. The objective evidence  of what took place  in the field will show that absolutely nothing improper  occurred. There is no case. Whether it was a correct decision to send the 920 or another vessel should have been dispatched \u2014 that is another matter, which concerns neither me nor Zouridakis. This process will take some time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than two years after the Pylos shipwreck\u2014the deadliest in modern Greek history, with possibly more than 600 men, women, and children lost\u2014clear answers about its causes remain elusive. In June, Solomon met with attorney Thrasivoulos Kontaxis at his office in Athens. Kontaxis is defending the 13 uniformed officers (the captain and crew) of patrol vessel PPLS-920, the only Coast…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-4279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investigations","category-latest-news-el","tag-english"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/6-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4279"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4281,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4279\/revisions\/4281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/captainsupport.net\/freepylos9\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}