Survivors of June’s deadly Mediterranean boat disaster want to sue authorities for failing to save those on board before the boat capsized in international waters, their lawyers say.
Hundreds of migrants are believed to have lost their lives in the disaster. Only around 100 people could be saved.
The Greek Coast Guard followed the boat part of the way from Libya to Italy. Many of the survivors dispute the official accounts that repeated offers of help from the Coast Guard were rejected. Instead, it is claimed that an unsuccessful attempt to bring the boat to safety was carried out shortly before it capsized.
It is a group of 40 of the survivors who want to take the authorities to court. The group is targeting “all responsible parties” at the port of Piraeus near Athens, and wants “attribution of criminal liability for the actions and omissions of the Greek authorities”, according to the lawyers.