Human Rights at Sea is proud to join the calls of over 300 academics and thought-leaders for an urgent independent investigation into the circumstances of the recent loss of an estimated 650 lives as a result of a shipwreck on 14 June 2023, off the coast of Pylos, Greece.

The letter restates the relevant legal position and emphasises that Greece has not only the right but, importantly, the duty to intervene, assist and rescue those on board irrespective of their status as migrants or smugglers, regardless of whether they asked for or refused assistance, even though the incident took place on the high seas.

The signatories of the letter emphasise that this incident highlights the urgent need to address the issue of pushbacks and the practice of ‘delayed/non-assistance’ in the Mediterranean. These practices not only undermine well-established legal obligations but also cast doubt on fundamental principles of international law and, more importantly, are leading to tragedies at sea.

In the letter, academic experts on migration, asylum, human rights law, public international law, the law of the sea and international criminal law raise important legal questions and call for a comprehensive examination of the incident.

Concerns regarding the involvement of Frontex and its legal obligations in search and rescue situations are also raised in the letter. The letter calls for an independent investigation into whether Frontex took all reasonably expected steps after its first sighting of the vessel to protect the lives of the passengers.

Dr. Elizabeth Mavropoulou, Lecturer in International Law (University of Westminster), one of the initiators of the letter, and former Human Rights at Sea Head of Research, highlights the importance of legal clarity:

“While the investigation of the tragic incident is ongoing, it is important that we steer clear from any intentional or unintentional misrepresentation of the current state of international law relating to search and rescue. Contrary to popular belief, for the purposes of search and rescue, the high seas or international waters are divided into zones between states. In this case, the migrant boat in distress was within Greece’s search and rescue zone, and therefore Greece had a legal duty to rescue”.

Martyn Illingworth, Head of Operations at Human Rights at Sea, said the following:

“As HRAS have consistently stated since we were established, the high seas should not be a lawless place. The tragic loss of around 650 lives in this one incident is truly shocking. If an incident with this level of loss had occurred on land, I don’t doubt the response would be different. Human lives should not have less value just because people are on the seas. I’m proud that David Hammond, our Chief Executive, has supported this urgent call for action.”

Since 2014, Human Rights at Sea has continuously advocated for accountability by state authorities for protecting an individual’s human rights at sea and continues to do so.

The letter remains open for signatures, and the number of signatories is continuously growing. The full text of the open letter and the list of signatories can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19wcuWxgOkRh1KnNkz2kNOsrK4RfjA-uieYH5KfWnbxc/edit?fbclid=IwAR2v8v0gNTI-asJnoJpYUPVk8X5FVZ_Zs6FmralQpLTkLfdrYHOKbBPDuyo

The letter has been sent to the international Press, the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the Prime Minister of Greece, the European Commissioner Johansson, and the Executive Director of Frontex.