ECHR ordered Greece to pay fine, over migrant deaths in Aegean Sea

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled a judgement against Greece in a landmark case of the sinking of a migrant boat in the Aegean Sea in 2014.

On Thursday, ECHR declared Greece violated Article 2 (right to life) of the European Convention on Human Rights under its procedural head.

The ECHR has passed the order to Greece to pay a total of $335,280 “in respect of the nonpecuniary damage sustained by the applicants.”

The legal suit Safi and other v. Greece was filed with the ECHR in January 2015, when 11 migrants were killed out of 27 when a boat sank in Aegean waters.

“The court found that there were deficiencies in the proceedings and concluded that the national authorities had not conducted a thorough and effective investigation into the circumstances in which the boat sank,” the court said.

There was also “a violation of Article 2 (right to life) on account of the failure to comply with the positive obligation under this Article,” it added.

“The court found that the Greek authorities did not do everything that could be expected of them to provide the applicants and their relatives with the protection required by Article 2 of the Convention,” the statement read.

Finally, the court held that the 12 applicants aboard the boat violated “Section 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) who were aboard the boat and who, after its sinking, due to reasons.” They were treated abusively. Among the body searches, he went through. ”

While delivering to the applicants, the court said that a Greek coastguard vessel was travelling at high speed to push back the refugees towards the Turkish waters, and this caused the fishing boat to capsize.”

International human rights groups have consecutively condemned Greece’s illegal deeds against the refugees, considering it an infringement and violation of human values and international law by risking vulnerable people’s lives, including children and women.