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PRESS RELEASE: Neither an accident nor an incident – A brutal crime in the Aegean Sea

Photo: AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas

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The Greek Forum of Refugees expresses its deep sorrow and concern over the tragic “incident” that occurred on 20 December 2024, in Greek waters near the island of Rhodes. According to survivors’ testimonies, a Coast Guard vessel violently rammed a boat carrying 27 people, of which 25 were refugees from Afghanistan, among them women and children. The tragic result was the death of 8 people, 3 women, 4 men and a 13-year-old boy, three of whom were almost decapitated or lost part of their bodies due to the severity of the collision caused by the Coast Guard vessel, while many others were seriously injured. A four-year-old girl is still being sought by her parents.

Survivors’ Testimonies: Two survivors, ‘D’ who is searching for his missing four-year-old daughter, and ‘M’ who lost his wife shared their shocking testimony:

‘Our boat with 25 refugees left from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey at around 7:20 a.m. on December 20. It was a sunny day. Around 9:30 or 10 a.m., while we were very close to the Greek island (Rhodes), suddenly two Coast Guard boats appeared behind us. One at high speed approached rapidly from the left side and rammed us without any warning and without us knowing what was happening. It all happened within seconds, less than a minute. The Coast Guard boat literally climbed on top of us, on the front of the boat where 12-15 people were sitting. When I regained consciousness, I saw people floating dead in the water. One woman had no head. The other Coast Guard boat was further away and just watching us.’

This testimony sheds light on the brutal circumstances of the tragedy. The survivors complain that the incident was not the result of an accident or mishap but of a vicious crime. An immediate and thorough investigation and accountability is required.

The Greek Forum of Refugees Demands:

  1. Search for the Missing Child: Immediate action must be taken to locate the missing four-year-old girl to end the distress of her mother who remains in the hospital’s ICU, critically injured, and her grieving father.
  2. Immediate investigation: conduct an independent and transparent investigation into the incident. The Coast Guard vessel, which apparently equipped with a camera, must be examined in detail. Responsibility must be held and those responsible, whoever they are, must be punished.
  3. Facilitate the survivors to see the bodies of their loved ones: Survivors must be allowed to bid farewell to their loved ones, as some have not yet been able to see the bodies of the deceased, despite repeated efforts.
  4. Facilitate the identification of the bodies: End the suffering of relatives who have traveled from abroad and have been waiting for a month to receive the bodies of their loved ones, facing agonizing delays caused by the authorities.
  5. Repatriation of the bodies: Authorities must facilitate the repatriation process of the bodies as requested by the relatives. Repatriation, in such cases, is an important psychological relief for grieving families, enabling them to mourn their loved ones properly.

This was not an accident. It was yet another crime among the many that have been happening for decades against refugees. The Greek Forum of Refugees calls on the Greek authorities and the European Union to take responsibility and ensure that such tragedies and crimes never happen again.

Greek Forum of Refugees

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