International organizations criticize Greece for failing to thoroughly investigate deadly Adriana shipwreck on 1 year anniversary

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - Two international human rights organizations criticized Greece on Friday for failing to thoroughly investigate the deadly Adriana boat shipwreck in which hundreds of victims perished.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), demanded in a statement on the first anniversary of the shipwreck that Greece conduct 'a comprehensive and conclusive investigation to shed light on the circumstances of this tragedy and ensure accountability,”

Only 104 people survived the tragedy which occurred 47 nautical miles (54 miles) southwest of the town of Pylos.

The boat was carrying 750 migrants and had reportedly embarked from the Tobruk region of northeastern Libya, located 300 nautical miles across the Mediterranean Sea, heading for Italy when it capsized in international waters.

Just 82 bodies were recovered.

Even though an investigation had been initiated by Greece, there has been no outcome, according to a statement by IOM and UNHCR.

Numerous rights groups have also criticized Greece’s Coast Guard for its handling of the shipwreck, where authorities failed to rescue migrants from the sinking boat.

Testimonies from survivors also claimed that the Hellenic Coast Guard, in an effort to tow the rusty boat, led to its sinking.

“Hundreds of families have been left in limbo, awaiting the truth on the fate of their loved ones,” Adriana Tidona, a migration researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Greek authorities must advance in their investigations into the potential liability of the coast guard in this incident to finally bring justice and closure to all those affected,” it added.