On 8 February 2025, the association of employees of the Ombudsperson’s Office, in reaction to the Ministry's announcement, condemned93 the attacks of the Ministry on the independent authority due to the Ombudsperson’s report on the Pylos shipwreck, calling it an institutional undermining and an attempt to devalue the authority’s work. Furthermore, following the Ministry's announcement, there also were strong reactions from opposition parties, the press and civil society organisations,94 which, inter alia, referred to unacceptable political interference by the Ministry in the work of the independent authority, an attempt to publicly discredit it and how the constitutionally guaranteed independent authorities are a pillar of the democratic constitutional order and guarantees of fundamental rights, while any attack on them constitutes a challenge to democracy. In May 2025, the lawyers representing the survivors and victims of the Pylos shipwreck 95 were: [..] informed of the completion of the preliminary investigation conducted by the competent Deputy Prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court, and the criminal prosecution and referral to main investigation on felony charges against 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard, including senior officers of its leadership. Specifically: A criminal prosecution has been initiated and they have been referred for main investigation by the competent Prosecutor of the Naval Court for the following felony offenses: 1. The captain of the Hellenic Coast Guard vessel (ΠΠΛΣ 920), who was involved in the shipwreck off Pylos on 13-14/6/2023, on the charge of: a) causing a shipwreck that could have endangered human life and resulted to the death of a big number of individuals (at least 82) [Article 277 para. 1 (b) and (d) of the Penal Code] b) Dangerous interference of maritime transport by disrupting the safe navigation of vessels, which could have endangered human life and resulted to the death of others (at least 82) (Article 291 para. 1 (f), (bb), and (dd) of the Penal Code). c) Failure to provide assistance by the captain of a vessel (Article 122 of the Naval Penal Code). 2.The crew of the HCG vessel (ΠΠΛΣ 920), on the charge of simple complicity in the aforementioned acts (a) and (b) committed by the captain. 3.Furthermore, all of the above, as well as the then-Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, the Supervisor of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, and the two Navigation Safety Officers on duty that day, on the charges of exposing others to danger, despite their legal obligation to rescue them, thereby leaving them in a helpless state, resulting to the death of at least 82 individuals (Article 306 para. 1, 2(b) of the Penal Code). According to the Order of the same competent Prosecutor, criminal prosecution was not initiated, and the case was archived with respect to four other officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard, despite their presence in the operations room and their strategic involvement in the handling of the incident, as the Prosecutor deemed them not legally competent at that time regarding the responsibility for the operation and actions of the National Search and Rescue Coordination Centre. The lawyers representing the survivors and victims of the Pylos shipwreck […]” have already filed appeals “[…] before the Prosecutor of the Court of Appeals against the Prosecutor's 93 94 95 News 24/7, website Press Article, Ombudsman: "Orchestrated attack" after the conclusion on the Pylos shipwreck, 8 February 2025, available in Greek here. TVXS, ‘Shipwreck in Pylos / Nervousness in the government by the conclusion of the Ombudsman - "Raises the tones" the opposition’, 4 February 2025, available in Greek here; ERTNEWS, ‘SYRIZA: Unacceptable the attack of the Ministry of Shipping against the Ombudsman - Citizens are entitled to the truth about the tragedy of Pylos’, 4 February 2025, available in Greek here; H ΑΥΓΗ, ‘Shipwreck in Pylos / Unprecedented attack by the government on the Ombudsman after the conclusion - "fire"’, 4 February 2025, available in Greek here; The Press Project, ‘Attack of the Ministry of Shipping to the Ombudsman for the conclusion on Pylos - Full coverage of the responsibilities of the Coast Guard’, 4 February 2025, available in Greek here; Hellenic League for Human Rights, ‘The attack on the Independent Authorities is a Questioning of Democracy’, 11 February 2025, available in Greek here; Greek Council for Refugees et al, Joint Press Release, ‘Scathing report by the Greek Ombudsman on the Pylos shipwreck’, 6 February 2025, available here. Greek Council for Refugees et al, Joint Press Release, ‘Shipwreck off Pylos: criminal prosecution for felonies against 17 members of the hellenic coast guard, including senior officers of its leadership’, 23 May 2025, available here. 41