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On 28 November, 10pm, a boat carrying 18 people landed in Ag. Kratigou, #Lesvos. They fled to the woods, hiding from the police in fear of being deported in the cover of darkness. Pictures, video & geo location data was collected as documentation of their arrival on Lesvos.
At the same time, several other boats arrived in other locations on Lesvos.
The arrivals were split into two groups: 16 people went up the hill in the dark, above the main road, while two women stayed behind, hiding close to the road.
The arrivals were split into two groups: 16 people went up the hill in the dark, above the main road, while two women stayed behind, hiding close to the road.
The two women didn’t have the strength to go any further. One was reported to have leg injuries, the other pregnant. Both groups had contact with Aegean Boat Report throughout the night.
The following morning, 29 November, we advised them to go to the main road, to make their presence known to locals in the area, and they walked down towards Katia. The two women who had been hiding closest to the road arrived there first, around 12.30.
Soon after, a teacher from the local university and his wife found the two women, and asked if they needed help. He also called the police so that someone could come to their aid, as it seemed that they needed medical attention.
He also called the police so that someone could come to their aid, as it seemed that they needed medical attention. The second group arrived in Katia, and was observed by many people in the area, walking on the road towards #Mytilini.
Port Police arrived 13.10 and stopped them from walking further towards Mytilíni, at a small marina referred to as "Limanaki Kratigou" (little port of kratigos) by locals.
The car registered to the port authority in Mytilíni, who arrived on scene, was a Nissan Navara 2015, license plate ΛΣ 5906. Both car & port police officer was filmed. Videos from witnesses in the marina confirms the location and presence of the car from port police at 13.23.
Everyone was taken behind a small chapel and searched. Their money, papers and phones were confiscated. According to testimony from the new arrivals, they were abused, both verbally and physically, before being transported from the area in a dark blue/black van.
After a while they where transferred to a white bus, and officers told them that they were being taken to a camp. Instead, they drove for what seemed like hours, and finally arrived at a port.
From video material filmed from inside the bus, one of the new arrivals managed to hide his phone. The port is identified as the #Schengen port in Petra, #Lesvos north. @schengen_info
In the video material from Petra port, we can also see another car, a Nissan Terrano ll 2001.
In the video material from Petra port, we can also see another car, a Nissan Terrano ll 2001.
The other car is registered to the port police in Mólivos, license plate ΛΣ 3804. A local witness in Petra confirms that he observed a white bus escorted by a car from the port police driving down to Petra port in the afternoon of 29 November.
They were held in the bus in Petra port for hours, no food or water was provided. Around 19.00 they were taken out of the bus, sprayed with water, and taken onboard a coast guard vessel, soaking wet. They were placed on the deck, outside, and told that they would freeze to death.
13 people from another group also arrived on the boat. The vessel involved is identified as a Vosper Europatrol 250 MK1 class offshore patrol vessel of the Hellenic coast guard visual ID number ΛΣ 050, currently stationed in Petra, Lesvos north.
What time they headed out is unknown, it was sometime after 19.00, and it was dark. People from the boat said the trip took several hours, and when they stopped they where forced into what they describe as a small orange tent, and left drifting helplessly in the dark.
Luckily they had managed to hide one phone, and they called 158, the emergency number to the Turkish coast guard. After several hours they where rescued and taken to Çanakkale, #Turkey.
Information from the Turkish coast guard says 13 people were found driftin30 November. Another group of 18 people were found drifting in the same day in the same area at 05.00, also in a liferaft.
Pictures published of the people rescued by the Turkish coast guard confirm that it is, without doubt, the same people who Aegean Boat Report received pictures and videos of on Lesvos the day before. @EUCouncil @Frontex @nytimes @rogerbruland
What's going on in the #Aegean Sea is a crime against humanity, performed by the Hellenic coast guard (HCG). In several investigations, it's been proved that HCG is behind these illegal pushbacks, but still the #Greek government keeps denying any involvement in these atrocities.
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the Greek Minister for #Immigration and #Asylum, Notis Mitarachi, has been denying any involvement in illegal deportation of asylum seekers on the Greek border.
"The Hellenic coast guard operates based on international law and international legality, based on the rules of engagement at sea, and with complete respect for human dignity and of course for human life. We fully abide by international and European law."
Mr. Mitsotakis say, when asked directly about these allegations, “It has not happened, we’ve been the victims of a significant misinformation campaign”, referring to articles and investigation in international press.
In September, Greek minister Giannis Plakiotakis bragged about their achievement: “Since the start of the year, the entry of more than 10,000 people has been prevented.” In August alone, “we had 68 cases of prevention and we succeeded in 3,000 people not entering our country.”
The Greek government is determined to prevent anyone from reaching Greek soil, no matter the consequences or potential harm they may inflict on innocent people fleeing war and persecution. No measures have so far been taken by @EUCouncil to stop this illegal practice.
Pushbacks are happening every single day in the Aegean Sea, and #Greece will continue practicing illegal pushbacks on an industrial scale, putting families & children in inflatable life rafts until #Europe once again decides to put human rights back on the agenda. @EUCouncil
