ECHR convicts Greece in 'push back' case

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) convicted Greece for the "push-back" of immigrants.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) signed a landmark decision 8.5 years after the shipwreck that took place in Farmakonisi in 2014 and cost the lives of 11 people.

In the lawsuit filed by 16 immigrants who survived the accident and claimed that the incident was a "pushback operation", the ECtHR convicted Greece and gave a compensation of 330 thousand euros.

The ECHR announced its decision on the case today (Thursday, 7 July). In the decision; It was stated that the 2nd article of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to life was violated.

The ECtHR ruled that there were negligence by the Greek authorities after the shipwreck, and that the necessary investigation was not carried out on the causes of the accident, and that the Greek authorities did not take the necessary measures to protect the lives of the immigrants.

The ECtHR also ruled that 12 of the 16 immigrants who survived the accident were treated inhumanely.

The ECHR sentenced Greece to pay a total of 330 thousand euros in compensation to the persons who filed the lawsuit.

On the other hand, the Greek Representation of the International Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Watch, which issued a press release on the subject, stated that, according to the testimonies of the survivors of the accident, in the incident that took place in 2014, the boat with the immigrants was pulled towards Turkish waters by the Greek coast guard units, and this incident is one of the dozens of "push-backs" in the region.

In the press release, it was stated that the Greek authorities denied this and argued that the boat with the migrants was towed by the Greek coast guard, not by Turkey, but taken towards Greece to rescue the migrants.