By The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, August 15, 2024
Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece
Mr. Giorgos Gerapetritis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece
Christos Stylianides, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy
13th August 2024
Dear Ministers,
We write to express our dismay at the Greek government’s decision to allow the Overseas Santorini and Overseas Sun Coast into Greek territorial waters. As of 13th August, both vessels are anchored in Greece, the Overseas Santorini at Piraeus and the Overseas Sun Coast at Agioi Theodoroi.
The Greek government was alerted on 6th August, via the Greek Missions to the United Nations, that both of these vessels deliver military jet fuel to Israel. This includes kerosene-based jet fuel and JP8 used for Israel’s F16 and F35 warplanes. These vessels have a history of delivering such fuel to Israel for many years, which has included docking in Greek ports, with 6 shipments of military jet fuel having been made from the USA to Israel since October 2023.
Included with this alert was a letter signed by international legal experts advising the Greek government that allowing these vessels to transit in Greek territorial waters or to provision these vessels at ports within Greece’s jurisdiction amounts to complicity in grave breaches of international law, including genocide and apartheid. This advice was substantiated with reference to recent rulings made by the International Court of Justice, actions taken by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and statements made by U.N. Special Rapporteurs.
We are gravely concerned that this advice appears to have been disregarded, with the Greek government now intentionally assisting in the grave violations of international law conducted by Israel, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, apartheid and genocide.
We call upon the government of Greece to remedy this by taking the following immediate actions:
Regarding the vessels currently anchored in Greek waters:
- To impound both the Overseas Santorini and Overseas Sun Coast and conduct an independent inquiry into their facilitation in providing military jet fuel to Israel, including assessment of criminal liability for breach of international law and complicity in war crimes.
Regarding all future transit of military fuel to Israel:
- Issue a Government Declaration prohibiting the facilitation of transit of military fuel to Israel by preventing all such vessels, including the Overseas Santorini and Overseas Sun Coast, from entering Greek territorial waters or docking in Greek ports.
We remind the Greek government of their legal obligation to take all necessary measures within their influence to prevent genocide, and we look forward to your cooperation.
Signed
