The Civil Fleet Podcast: 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: Or follow them on Twitter via: The International Rescue Committee has a great explanation of the EU-Turkey deal here: Iason also worked on Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) rescue ship, the Geo Barents. For more on the Geo Barents, see here:   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: 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: 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: For pictures of the Mare Jonio's last rescue mission, see here: Want to know more about Alarm Phone? Read about them here: 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:   For more on the Maersk Etienne, see here: Iason mentions the Iuventa at one point in the interview. Read an interview with two members of that ship here: or check out episode 2. Want to know more about Unclos and Solas? Check this out , and/or this:   Read Aegean Boat Report's story on the 25 people who were kidnapped by the Greek authorities after they reached Lesbos here: 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: