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BRUSSELS — The European Fee brushed apart strain from worldwide organizations to launch an unbiased probe into the conduct of the Greek authorities in what some are calling the worst tragedy ever within the Mediterranean Sea.
Public scrutiny turned its deal with the Greek coast guard within the shipwreck final Wednesday off the coast of Pylos, Greece, which formally claimed the lives of just about 80 migrants and left 500 lacking, based on the U.N.’s migration and refugee businesses.
“We take be aware that the [Greek] public prosecutor has began an investigation on this incident, and it is rather necessary to make sure a radical and clear investigation” by permitting Greece to hold ahead its personal inquiry, stated the EU’s dwelling affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper throughout a each day media briefing on Monday.
The Hellenic Coast Guard defended itself by saying these aboard have been refusing help.
In a press release Friday, The United Nation’s refugee and migration businesses, UNHCR and IOM, wrote that states “have an obligation to render help to these in misery […] regardless of the intentions of these onboard.”
Survivors of the tragedy claimed the native coast guard staged a harmful maneuver to steer the overcrowded fishing vessel towards Italy, in the end inflicting it to capsize.
“That will be disturbing, that’s why are calling for an unbiased investigation,” stated Vincent Cochetel, the UNHCR’s particular envoy for the western and central Mediterranean, in an interview with the CNN on Friday referring to those allegations.
Greek authorities responded that the boat was steadily on a course to Italy and refused their assist.
Moreover, a BBC evaluation discovered that the vessel didn’t transfer for seven hours, additional casting doubt on the Greek coast guard’s account.
The EU dispatched officers from the unbiased Company for Basic Rights (FRA) and its border company Frontex to Greece to assemble proof and cooperate with the native authorities. However they emphasised that these our bodies don’t have any investigative powers.
“FRA staff is on the bottom in Greece to raised perceive the Search & Rescue challenges,” the company stated in a press release to POLITICO, including that it’s going to not launch a probe.
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