Human Rights Commissioner Urges Greek Prime Minister to Address Pylos Shipwreck Investigation

01-08-2023 

Sofía Medina Sánchez 

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence 

On the 28th of July, Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, sent a letter to Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Prime Minister of Greece highlighting Greece’s legal obligation to conduct effective investigations into the Pylos shipwreck. Due to this shipwreck, 80 persons were found dead, and hundreds are still missing. The Commissioner for Human Rights urged the Greek authorities to establish the facts and, if appropriate, prosecute and punish those responsible. Moreover, the Commissioner raises concerns over alleged survivor pressure and evidence irregularities in the Pylos shipwreck investigation, potentially leading to downplaying certain actors’ roles, including the Greek Coast Guard. In light of families’ right to know the truth about missing persons, the Commissioner requests information on efforts to locate, respect, identify, and bury deceased migrants' remains.

Furthermore, the Commissioner expresses worries about restrictions on survivor movement and the conduct of asylum interviews. She seeks clarification on the specific measures Greece has implemented to uphold human rights obligations regarding reception conditions and asylum procedure access.

This shipwreck does not constitute an isolated incident and brings attention to a particularly poignant and critical issue in today’s society: migration and asylum. It will hopefully prompt a reconsideration of the approach taken towards refugees and migrants arriving by sea and ensure Greece complies with its international obligations under maritime law and human rights law, regarding search and rescue. 

Sources and further readings: 

Council of Europe, Newsroom, Pylos shipwreck investigation: Human Rights Commissioner addresses letter to Greek Prime Minister, 28 July 2023: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/pylos-shipwreck-investigation-human-rights-commissioner-addresses-letter-to-greek-prime-minister

Council of Europe, Commissioner for Human Rights Letter to the Prime Minister of Greece, Ref: CommHR/DM/sf 024-2023, Strasbourg 19 July 2023: https://rm.coe.int/letter-addressed-to-the-prime-minister-of-greece-by-dunja-mijatovic-co/1680ac03ce