A year after a migrant boat overturned off Rhodes, killing a child and a young man, a Greek court has sentenced the vessel’s captain to life in prison.
The court found the 32-year-old Armenian national guilty over the October 2025 shipwreck. The boat, carrying 21 people, overturned near Paradisi, Rhodes, killing two of those on board.
The court also imposed an additional nine-month prison sentence and a €2,5 million fine on the 32-year-old. Two other defendants received nine-month suspended prison sentences.
A Fatal Journey to Rhodes
The speedboat left Marmaris, Turkey, on the night of October 13, 2025, carrying 21 people toward Rhodes.
According to the Greek Coast Guard, a patrol vessel spotted the boat in the early hours of October 14 as it approached the Rhodes coast.
The operator did not respond to the patrol vessel’s lights and sound signals. The boat then increased speed and made dangerous maneuvers during the pursuit.
It eventually overturned, throwing everyone on board into the sea. The Coast Guard rescued 16 migrants and recovered the bodies of two people.
The victims were a 10-year-old boy from Iraq and a 21-year-old Palestinian man from Gaza. Both died from drowning, according to the case report.
What the Survivors Told Investigators
Four survivors later gave statements about the journey. They said they had paid between €3,500 and €4,300 each for the crossing and identified the three men who were arrested.
According to the case file, the passengers had no life jackets. The prosecution also alleged that the boat was overcrowded and lacked navigation lights.
The three defendants gave different accounts of their roles.
The 32-year-old initially denied the charges but later said that he alone had operated the boat. He claimed that he had agreed to make the journey in exchange for free transportation to Greece.
The other two defendants, a 31-year-old Azerbaijani national and a 34-year-old Armenian national, denied operating the boat. They said they were passengers who had paid about €4,000 each for the journey.
Court Delivers Its Verdict
The court ultimately held the 32-year-old responsible as the boat’s captain and imposed the life sentence.
The other two defendants received nine-month prison sentences, suspended for three years. The ruling brings the criminal case over the deadly Rhodes crossing to a major judicial conclusion.
The tragedy also highlights the dangers faced by people attempting to reach Greece by sea in overcrowded and unsafe vessels.
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