European rights chief presses Greece on deadly 2023 migrant shipwreck as questions remain A top European human rights official urged Greek authorities Tuesday to address claims of negligence in a 2023 boat disaster that killed hundreds of migrants off the coast of southern Greece.
Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, cited recent findings by Greece’s Ombudsman that maintained Greek coast guard officers failed to prevent one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest migrant shipwrecks.
“The Commissioner, who liaises closely with the Ombudsman, notes his important findings and encourages the authorities to take resolute action to ensure appropriate criminal and disciplinary accountability,” O’Flaherty’s office said in a report Tuesday.
During his visit to Greece last week, O’Flaherty met with five government ministers and Cabinet officials as well as shipwreck survivors, their lawyers and advocacy groups.
The government last week reaffirmed its full confidence in the coast guard’s efforts to protect Greece’s maritime borders and rescue operations at sea.
