The world’s leading human rights organisation, Amnesty International, is continuing to slam the Maltese government’s silence on its involvement in the rescue operation off the island of Lampedusa on 11 October 2013, despite numerous requests for information by this newsroom and others.
In its annual report for 2015-2016, Amnesty commented that, “At the end of the year, the [Maltese] government was still refusing to disclose detailed information about the search and rescue operation of a trawler – carrying over 400 people – which sank in October 2013, resulting in about 200 deaths.
“According to testimonies from survivors and other evidence, failures by Italian and Maltese authorities delayed the rescue operation.”
In its preceding annual report on Malta, Amnesty International had highlighted that, “The government refused to disclose information about the search and rescue operation regarding a trawler carrying over 400 people, mostly Syrian families, which sank on 11 October 2013.
“Survivors’ testimonies and available data indicated that rescue may have been delayed due to failures by Maltese and Italian authorities.”
This newsroom has conducted its own extensive investigation into the events surrounding the incident. It found that after it was handed control of the situation on that fateful day, Malta had six options at its disposal. These included sending the ITS Libra to the rescue. There were also a number of merchant ships in the vicinity and at least five fast rescue boats anchored in Lampedusa. In the end, Malta chose to send the P61 patrol boat, which was the furthest away. The Maltese vessel arrived at the scene after the tragedy had unfolded. In the end, Malta and Italy saved 203 people. Thirty-two bodies were recovered and about 260 others remained missing at sea.
This newsroom and others have also filed several requests for information to the Armed Forces of Malta as well as the government, but have been met with a continuous wall of silence.