In the early hours of Thursday May 23, a boat carrying 25 people, amongst them 7 small children, was closing in on the northwestern shore of Samos, north west of Karlovasi.
6 kilometers from land a vessel from the Greek coast guard approached in high speed.
From videos we received from people onboard, we can clearly identify the boat as a Lambro 57 coastal patrol vessel, identification ΛΣ-604, belonging to the Hellenic Coast Guard on Samos.
The coast guard vessel first drove alongside the rubber boat, then started circling around it in high speed, creating waves to slow it down.
In videos taken from onboard the rubber boat, we can see three masked men, officers, on deck on the coast guard vessel.
The people in the rubber boat was eventually stopped, the masked officers on the coast guard vessel was standing above, pointing shotguns at them, they had no choice than to obey.
One by one they were taken onboard the coast guard vessel, thoroughly searched, before being placed sitting on deck in the front, face down and ordered not to talk or to look up.
All belongings were taken away from them, what little they had left in life they lost. While searching, the masked men continuously asked that they hand over their phones, nobody dared to resist, all phones was confiscated and thrown into the sea.
All communication with the boat was lost 06.58 (EEST), the phones went offline, we were unable to reconnect.
At the time we were unable to confirm what really happened to the group, but based on the systematic and widespread pushback practice by Greek authorities, we assumed that they had been illegally pushed back to Turkey.
At 10.15 Turkish coast guard found and rescued 25 people, 7 of them small children, from a life raft drifting outside Menderes, Turkey.
When comparing pictures and videos we received from the rubber boat, with footage published by the Turkish coast guard from the life raft outside Menderes, there is absolutely no doubt, the two groups are the same.
Greek coast guard illegally pushed back 25 people, 7 of them small children, forced them into a life raft and left them helplessly drifting in the middle of the sea, with no regard for their safety, international law or fundamental rights.
This systematic inhumane pushback practices by Greek authorities seems to be of no concern for the European Commission, the “guardian of the treaties”, who is not only turning a blind eye to widespread violations of fundamental rights in Europe, but also fully financing the illegal practice by Greek authorities.
For the last four years Greek authorities have, in cooperation with Frontex, and fully supported by the European Commission, pushed back 83.000 men, woman and children who have tried to find safety in Europe. 2000 rubber boats and 1.470 life rafts have been found helplessly drifting packed with people the Aegean Sea.
The European Commission has taken no legal actions, nor launched any infringement procedures against Greece, despite their blatant disregard for the rule of law in Europe.
The guardian of the treaties has failed, not a little, but miserably.