Lire la version en français
As the horrific scale of the last week’s mass drowning of migrants off the coast of Greece becomes clear – and as the Greek coastguard’s shaky version of events contrasts ever more sharply with the victims’ descriptions of what happened – the need for an independent investigation is obvious.
But we need to see much more than that. The EU should reflect on its role in yet another avoidable tragedy and end its “let them die” policy. It should bring back official, proactive search-and-rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea. And EU member states need to stop criminalizing saving lives and stop prosecuting humanitarian aid workers.
Authorities – particularly in Greece – also need to end their smear campaigns and prosecutions against activists working with migrants or supporting migrants’ fundamental human rights. Both the UN and the Council of Europe have strongly criticized Greece for this, but there’s been no let-up in the authorities’ assault.
The harassment of a prominent rights activist, Panayote Dimitras, founder and head of the Greek Helsinki Monitor, is one example of just how awful things have become in Greece.
In late May, Greek media reported that the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority had ordered Dimitras’ assets frozen pending an investigation of alleged misuse of funding related to his group’s work. Mainstream outlets, including the government-controlled Athens News Agency, have published what looks like leaked information, in some cases alongside his photo.
The fact authorities have sent Dimitras no official notification of any investigation deepens suspicions the case is bogus and simply slander. As Mary Lawlor, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders, said, commenting on the case: “leaks of such investigations are commonly used to smear human rights defenders.”
It’s not the first time authorities have gone after Dimitras. In late 2022, Greek authorities brought unfounded charges against him and another activist, Tommy Olsen, for their work on shedding light on human rights violations taking place at Greece’s borders.
The EU seems to be in complete moral meltdown here. Those in power cut search and rescue at sea. They criminalize saving lives on the open waters. And they persecute those who dare to point out that desperate, powerless people drowning en masse are, in fact, human beings with rights.