Greece denies accusations: Coast Guard should throw migrants at sea

Greece denies the allegations
Coast Guard Should Throw Migrants Overboard

02/17/2022 at 10:02 PM

The Greek border guards are said to have thrown the refugees into the sea – and this appears to be a common tactic. According to media research, people died in the process. Athens rejects the reports and suspects “Turkish propaganda” behind them.

A Cameroonian man has accused the Greek coast guard of throwing him and two other migrants into the sea off the Greek island of Samos, near the Turkish coast. The other two men drowned, according to the British “Spiegel” and the British “Guardian”, the French news portal “Mediapart” and the Dutch research network “Lighthouse Reports”. The Greek government dismissed this representation as false.

The Cameroonian man reported that he was kidnapped by Greek border guards from the island of Samos in September last year along with two men from Cameroon and Ivory Coast and then dumped in the sea. Turkish officials later found the other two men dead.

According to Spiegel and its partner media, they interviewed more than a dozen eyewitnesses about the case and evaluated medical reports, photos and videos, as well as satellite imagery. They also refer to informants in the Greek security authorities.

Therefore, the research supports the representation of the Cameroonian. His description of the Turkish coastal region coincided with satellite images and his information on waves matched the weather report. The fact that the deceased were previously on Samos can be established based on the statements of seven other refugees.

Lawyers prepare lawsuits

Journalists involved in the research also refer to two Greek officials who, according to the Greek Coast Guard, are in fact throwing refugees into the sea over and over again. This tactic is mainly used in small groups. According to reports, the Turkish Coast Guard has registered 29 cases of opposition since May last year, in which people were said to have been dumped in the waters.

Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarashi spoke of “false news” behind which “Turkish propaganda” was put. “With the Turkish authorities not taking action, the Greek Coast Guard continues to save the lives of thousands of men, women and children at sea every year,” he said in a statement. According to him, the Greek coast guard rescued “230 thousand people from third countries” from ordeal at sea between 2015 and 2021.

According to Spiegel, Greek lawyers are preparing a lawsuit in a local court. Therefore, Turkish lawyers submitted a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights.