Leaked audio instructions from Greek rescue coordinators have intensified scrutiny over the official narrative concerning a migrant boat tragedy that occurred on June 14, 2023, involving an estimated 650 individuals. The ship, Adriana, sank in international waters but fell within Greece's rescue zone after departing from Libya days earlier. Survivors subsequently accused the Greek coastguard of exacerbating an already precarious situation, claiming that their mishandling of a rescue attempt led to the vessel capsizing. They also alleged intimidation tactics that aimed to suppress witnesses.
In stark contrast, the Greek coastguard maintains that the boat was not in distress and that the migrants were opting to head toward Italy rather than Greece. Recent audio recordings, shared by the Greek website News247.gr, reveal a call from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Piraeus, in which an unnamed officer instructs the captain of the migrant vessel to assert that the passengers do not wish to be taken to Greece.
The shipwreck, a catastrophic event that ranks among the deadliest in the Mediterranean, reportedly had around 750 migrants onboard when it left Tobruk, Libya. In the aftermath, only 82 bodies were recovered, while the United Nations estimates that approximately 500 individuals, including 100 women and children, are still missing.
The released audio captures two significant phone calls. During the first, an officer informs the migrant captain that a larger vessel is on the way to supply necessities and instructs him to communicate the migrants' unwillingness to go to Greece. The second call, occurring 90 minutes later, confirms that individuals aboard the boat voiced a preference for Italy when queried by the captain of the supplying vessel.
No comments have been made by the Greek coastguard on the audio but they confirmed submitting all relevant evidence to a Naval Court that is currently probing the incident. Over the past decade, the coastguard claims to have rescued more than a quarter of a million migrants and apprehended over a thousand smugglers, highlighting their humanitarian efforts.
Previous investigations into the shipwreck raised inconsistencies with the Greek authorities’ explanation; evidence indicated that the migrant boat had not been in motion for several hours before it capsized. Additionally, a Greek court earlier dismissed charges against nine Egyptian men accused of causing the shipwreck due to jurisdictional issues, despite contradicting testimonies from survivors pointing fingers at the coastguard.
Dimitris Choulis, a human rights lawyer representing some of the accused, expressed skepticism toward the Greek authorities' narrative, claiming a cover-up has been attempted from the onset. Observers from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have also questioned the integrity of the Greek investigation and advocated for international scrutiny. The Greek Ombudsman has been reviewing allegations of misconduct, alongside ongoing investigations by the Greek Naval Court.
