Greek Coastguard Chief Faces Trial Over Deadly 2023 Migrant Shipwreck

Greek prosecutors have moved to charge four top officials in the Hellenic coastguard, including the current commander Vice Admiral Tryfon Kontizas, over the catastrophic sinking of the Adriana fishing vessel in June 2023. The boat, carrying around 650 migrants en route from Libya to Italy, capsized off Pylos after hours of being monitored by Greek authorities, with only 104 survivors rescued.

Survivors have alleged that the Adriana overturned when a Greek patrol vessel attempted an unsafe towing manoeuvre, causing the overloaded boat to tip. While just 82 bodies were recovered, hundreds more are believed to have drowned, making it one of the deadliest maritime tragedies in recent European history. The prosecutor’s recommendation cites negligent manslaughter, failure to rescue, and exposing people to danger through omission.

Earlier this year, 17 other coastguard personnel—including the ship’s captain and former coastguard chief Vice Admiral Giorgos Alexandrakis—were already set to face charges, but Kontizas and three senior officers had initially been cleared. That decision was later challenged by survivors’ families, leading to the renewed push for accountability. Greek authorities continue to insist they acted appropriately and point to more than 250,000 lives rescued at sea in the past decade.

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