Episode 18: 'There is no end to this cruelty'

In today's episode, we speak with Iason Apostolopoulos, a search-and-rescue coordinator with Italian refugee rescuers Mediterranea: Saving Humans. We speak about the organisation's latest rescue operation aboard the Mare Jonio, and how the Italian cops put Mediterranea under investigation last year for supposedly facilitating the arrival of "illegal migrants." In July 2021, Iason was scheduled to receive the Medal of Honour from the Greek President for his search-and-rescue activities since 2015. But the country's right-wing government cancelled it at the last minute, calling him a "traitor to the state."  Iason tells us all about that too. ---Show notes--- For more on Mediterranea: Saving Humans, visit: mediterranearescue.org/en/  Or follow them on Twitter via: @RescueMed The International Rescue Committee has a great explanation of the EU-Turkey deal here: bit.ly/3B0Nvez Iason also worked on Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) rescue ship, the Geo Barents. For more on the Geo Barents, see here: bit.ly/3HtYsrF  Check out episode 14 of The Civil Fleet for an interview with the Geo Barent's search-and-rescue team leader Riccardo Gatti and midwife Kira Smith.  Ben and Iason mention Italy's former Interior Minister and leader of the far-right Lega Party Matteo Salvini. Read about a recent trial against him for blocking the Open Arms refugee rescue ship from entering a port in 2019 here: bbc.in/3gmyeeO The Aquarius was a refugee rescue ship operated by MSF and SOS Mediterranee between 2016 to 2018. You can read about why it was forced to stop its operations here: bit.ly/35WeOvr  Carola Rackete was captain of the Sea Watch 3. After a 17-day stand-off with the Italian authorities following the rescue of 40 people in 2019, Rackete was forced to enter the port of Lampedusa without permission. You can read about that here: bit.ly/3uIVvA7 For pictures of the Mare Jonio's last rescue mission, see here: bit.ly/3Hy1niZ Want to know more about Alarm Phone? Read about them here: bit.ly/3gqybyt or check out episodes 3 and 5. For more on how Frontex has aided the Libyan Coastguards to return thousands of people back to Libya since at least 2020, see here: bit.ly/3rre1uE   For more on the Maersk Etienne, see here: bit.ly/3HyJMHU Iason mentions the Iuventa at one point in the interview. Read an interview with two members of that ship here: bit.ly/3rppLO9 or check out episode 2. Want to know more about Unclos and Solas? Check this out unclos.org, and/or this: bit.ly/3smJzAS   Read Aegean Boat Report's story on the 25 people who were kidnapped by the Greek authorities after they reached Lesbos here: bit.ly/3rsJ60O For more on the situation in Greece on The Civil Fleet podcast, check out episodes 3, 4, 9 and 16. Read this New York Times story in the 12 people who froze to death after the Greek Coastguards allegedly kidnapped and stripped them: nyti.ms/3Jaigkl