V_SAR Op 08.05.19

This case involves 3 pushback victims (Sudanese refugees) who have been found by JLProject. They can be seen in pictures posted by the Libyans and in aerial photos taken by Moonbird and Frontex.

The case occurred under Operation Themis (case number 287626 and 287649).

Double pushback carried out by Libyan patrol boat Sabratha 564, probably under the supervision of the Rome Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). Two inflatable dinghies were pushed back:

• The first one (RUBBER1) was in Libyan waters at the time of the seizure
• The second one (RUBBER2) was fully in international waters.

The pushback victims found by JLP were all on RUBBER2.

Involvement of FRONTEX EUNAVFORMED aircraft assets proved by sightings, flight tracks and aerial photographs taken by them and given to the Libyans in real time.

Considering the evidence gathered and the reconstruction of the case, it seems that a EUNAVFORMED aircraft asset (COTOS EUNAVFORMED or Osprey 1) saw RUBBER2 first. The inflatable dinghy was sailing without issues; it had almost arrived to the Maltese SAR and had not called for help.

It is very likely that the European aircraft had signalled the boat to the MRCC Rome, which then called the Libyans. Access to the records will clarify the situation.

Frontex gave the aerial photos of RUBBER2’s seizure to the Libyans in real time, who then posted them on Twitter and Facebook.

Alarm Phone followed the case of the first inflatable dinghy, which was sinking, but not that of the second inflatable dinghy, which did not call for help. (Watch the Med Report – “08/05: 150 travellers from al-Khums, reportedly picked up by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard” https://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1205)

After Frontex’s assets, aircraft Moonbird of NGO Sea Watch also flew over RUBBER2. It quickly informed Alarm Phone and the authorities. We think that Moonbird also saw Frontex’s European aircraft, and we hope that it gathered evidence of its role in this illegal pushback.

Le Monde published part of Moonbird’s ship’s log, from which we can deduce that they heard (and hopefully recorded) several conversations between the two European aircraft assets, Osprey 1 and COTOS.

The vessel Mare Jonio of Mediterranea Saving Humans NGO was in the area as well. It collected important evidence and already provided it to JLProject.

The case

Double pushback carried out by patrol boat Sabratha 654, which goes in and out of the port of Khoms twice.

• The first time it seizes an inflatable white dinghy with 107 people on board, of which 88 are men, 12 are women and 7 are kids. It is RUBBER1, at location 32.59310000,14.76940000 (in Libyan waters). Nationalities of the intercepted people: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Bangladesh. The case is tracked by Alarm Phone.
• The second time it seizes another inflatable white dinghy with 106 or 107 people on board – all men, at 63 miles North-west of Zlinen. Exact coordinates of the seizure: 33:33:12N 14:49:11E (IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS). The people intercepted are of African and Arabic nationalities: Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Niger, Chad, Mali, Senegal. RUBBER2 is the boat of the people found by JLProject.

First contact with the vessel:

• At 9:15 UTC RUBBER1 calls Alarm Phone, which notifies the MRCC Rome. At 09:30 Sabratha 654 sets sail. At 10:08 EUnavforMed’s plane Sophia takes off. The seizure happens at 12:40. JLP’s analysis: probably the MRCC Rome called the Libyans after being notified by AP.
• RUBBER2 was probably located for the first time by European aircraft assets. At 12:45 UTC patrol boat Sabratha receives its location, but we don’t know by who (we suppose by the MRCC Rome).

JLP’s analysis: Probably RUBBER2 was located by one of Frontex’s plane headed towards RUBBER1.

The Libyans receive in real time aerial photographs taken by Frontex.

There is an investigation by Le Monde: “In the case of 8 May 2019, Frontex’s plane discovered a vessel en route to Europe in the central Mediterranean. Contact was established between Libyan authorities and the agency, but no Mayday was issued. This emergency message could have been picked up by all planes and ships in the vicinity at the time, including Mare Jonio of the Mediterranea Saving Humans NGO, which specializes in rescue operations.”

“The Libyan coast guard finally found the vessel without difficulty, even though it was more than a hundred kilometres away from their coast. At 17, they boarded the migrants aboard their patrol boat before deporting them back to Libya. This interception was likely facilitated, indeed made possible, by Frontex’s information. During the operation, Frontex’s plane continued to fly over the area and film the scene. The coast guard also had access to these images.”

https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/11/23/enquete-comment-des-appareils-de-surveillance-de-frontex-sont-utilises-par-les-gardes-cotes-libyens-pour-intercepter-illegalement-des-migrants_6151323_3210.html

NotNote by JLProject on Le Monde’s theory

Would the boat Mare Jonio – if notified on time by the MRCC Rome – have arrived to RUBBER2 before the Libyans?

The answer is NO.

JLProject carried out several simulations.

The MRCC Rome probably becomes aware of RUBBER2’s location around 12.30 UTC. They notify the Libyans, who were sailing towards Khoms to disembark the people intercepted on RUBBER1. The Libyans reach RUBBER2 at 17:17 UTC (photos of the seizure taken by Frontex). It takes them less than 5 hours, sailing at a speed of at least 20 knots. Mare Jonio was far away from both struggling boats, and in 2019 could reach a maximum speed of 10 knots. From its location at 12:30 UTC, it would have taken Mare Jonio more than 8 hours to reach RUBBER2.

Our simulation of the seizure of RUBBER1 had the same result: Mare Jonio could not have arrived before the Libyans.

European aircraft assets at the scene:

• Osprey1 Frontex DA42
• EUnavforMed Sophia COTOS (Spain) AME0206
• FM Armed Forces of Malta Beach B200 #AS1126

ONG Witnesses:

• Moonbird (Sea watch’s plane) flew at least over RUBBER2.
• Mare Jonio (Mediterranea Saving Humans’ vessel) was 70 miles away but had been notified of the issues by Alarm Phone and Sea Watch.

The case is complex and the sky is full of airplanes observing it from above.

(Reconstruction of the day made by ournalist Sergio Scandura. There is RUBBER1 but not RUBBER2)

Sources:

• Libyan militias on Twitter (Rgowans https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1126248018511040518?s=20) – photos and videos
• On FB the so-called Libyan Coast Guard posts a long report on the two cases. You can still read it here https://www.facebook.com/CoastGuardly/posts/pfbid0nAQFD4aGPtRkJPFGKmSojKiVJeqksPhwGA5u39fBcJveWK47pz74g6zVCfqVAUuXl
• Video reconstruction by Le Monde https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5gfPbPMjN0&t=273s
• Copy of the e-mails with the MRCC Rome and MARICOGECAP (provided by Mare Jonio)
• Alarm Phone’s twitter account
• Watch the Med’s report – “08/05: 150 travellers from al-Khums, reportedly picked up by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard” (on RUBBER1) https://watchthemed.net/index.php/reports/view/1205
• Scandura’s twitter account
• Video by Moonbird (it would be useful to have the whole shot) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eh0jOcY970
• Part of Moonbird’s ship’s log published by Le Monde (ask Sea Watch for the original)

Pictures and videos of the case:

Of RUBBER1 we have:

• a video posted by the Libyans here https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1126248018511040518?s=20

• photos posted by the Libyans here https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1131257764242763779?s=20

Of RUBBER2 we have:

• 3 aerial photos taken by Frontex during the seizure (FA1, FA2, FA3) and posted by the Libyans on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/CoastGuardly/posts/pfbid0nAQFD4aGPtRkJPFGKmSojKiVJeqksPhwGA5u39fBcJveWK47pz74g6zVCfqVAUuXl

photos posted by the Libyans here
https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1126394429043105792?s=20

• Aerial photos and videos taken by Moonbird

An extensivevideo and photo documentation provided by Sea Watch allowed us to extract screenshots and zoomed shoots of RUBBER2.

Photos and videos of the people intercepted on RUBBER2 disembarking at Khoms.

The night of 8 May at 23:39 UTC (01:39 CAT of May 9th) in gig. Ali Al Twair, who works at the port of Khoms, posted on Facebook photos and videos of the disembarkement of the people intercepted on RUBBER2. Link https://www.facebook.com/ali.altweair/posts/pfbid0241JuW3bb1fhGFn9tnwZVJAcHpZXHMLw47Jq8h4tRbwfbsG3fchvutBUN8b8reVoYl

In the video, at the link https://www.facebook.com/100001577629354/videos/pcb.2336359319759966/2336303539765544, you can see basically all the pushback victims getting off patrol boat Sabratha 654 at the port of Khoms. We have lightened the video and posted it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dZBZwXnDtY

In the video, the number of Sabratha 654 can be seen clearly.

An hour later, at 01:33 UTC (01:33 CAT), local news agency Alkmus.twa posted on Facebook some of Ali Al Twair’s photos and the account of the disembarkation. Link https://www.facebook.com/alkums.twa/posts/2305727359664733/?paipv=0&eav=AfYS1eSCptFAPIFsPQzpmUtFubRs1DRArcYVD5OkbQu1FI-2SSWf5CpK2jVqwWQmLro&_rdr

Frontex reports

In the Frontex database there are two cases of interceptions at sea with disembarkation at Khoms dated 8 May. The first case (IncidentId: 287626), probably reports the wrong type of vessel (wooden instead of rubber). In the second case (likely related to RUBBER2), the type of vessel reported is correct (rubber boat).                                                                          

JLP’S NOTE: We noticed that in the Frontex database they often report the wrong types of vessels. They probably don’t recognize the right material from the sky.

Here is the data:

IncidentId: 287626 IncidentNumber: 287626 IncidentStatus: Accepted OperationName: Themis 2019 OperationStatus: INACTIVE OperationSectorType: Sea BorderSection: ITA PrimaryIncidentType: Prevention of departure SAR: N/A DetectionByFrxAsset: No InterceptionByFrxAsset: No ReportingCountry: Italy DetectionDate: 2019-05-08T00:00:00 InterceptionDate: 2019-05-08T00:00:00 ReportingDate: 2019-05-09T00:00:00 CountryOfDeparture: Libya Disembarkation: Al Khoms TransportType: wooden boat GroupedOperationName: Themis num_l_MigrantsDeterred: 150

IncidentId: 287649 IncidentNumber: 287649 IncidentStatus: Accepted OperationName: Themis 2019 OperationStatus: INACTIVE OperationSectorType: Sea BorderSection: ITA PrimaryIncidentType: Prevention of departure SAR: No DetectionByFrxAsset: No InterceptionByFrxAsset: No ReportingCountry: Italy DetectionDate: 2019-05-08T00:00:00 InterceptionDate: 2019-05-08T00:00:00 ReportingDate: 2019-05-09T00:00:00 CountryOfDeparture: Libya Disembarkation: Al Khoms TransportType: inflatable/rubber boat/zodiac boat/dinghy GroupedOperationName: Themis num_l_MigrantsDeterred: 150

Timeline

7 May 2019

21:00 UTC (23:00 Libyan time): An inflatable white dinghy departs from KHOMS. There are 107 people on board, all men. We will call it RUBBER2. (Source: witnesses)

8 May 2019

Around 03:00 UTC: Another dinghy, black and white, with approximately 150 people on board (including women and children), departs from Libya. We will call it RUBBER1. (Source: Watch the Med Alarm Phone Report)

Before 05:35 UTC: RUBBER1 breaks in two and the engine stops working (Source: call for help to AP from the dinghy)

05:35 UTC (07.35 CEST): RUBBER1 calls Alarm Phone. Migrants call from a cell phone and are not able to provide their coordinates.

09:10 UTC: After many issues, the migrants are able to call AP for help from a Thuraya phone with number 008821621294472. They provide their coordinates: N 32deg34’35.16”, E 014deg46’9.84”. (Source: e-mail sent afterwards by AP to the MRCC Rome and Watch the Med Alarm Phone Report)

09:21 UTC: Alarm Phone calls the MRCC Rome to report the boat in distress.

09:30 UTC (11:30 CEST): Patrol boat Sabratha is on patrol duty. During the mission, it is notified (JLP’s note: BY WHO?) of the presence of a boat asking for help at 8 miles Northwest of Zliten (JLP’s note: RUBBER1). They immediately go to that location (Source: Libyan report on FB)

09:34 UTC: Alarm Phone e-mails the MRCC Rome (email address itmrcc@mit.gov.it), cc’ing the MRCC Malta (e-mail address rccmalta@gov.mt), sharing all the information on the struggling dinghy in writing, too, including the coordinates. The e-mail starts with “As we just told you on the phone…”. (Source: e-mail sent from AP to MRCC Rome)

09:36 UTC: While navigating between latitude 33 40 and 33 28, Mare Jonio receives a copy of the e-mail sent by AP to the MRCC Rome and the MRCC Malta. (Source: Mare Jonio’s ship’s log + e-mail)

10:08 UTC (12:08 CEST): Take off of EUnavforMed Sophia SPAF D.4-07 Casa CN-235 #CN35 callsign COTOS #AME0206, Sigonella based, in SAR flight over mediterranean w/out full. (Source: Scandura https://twitter.com/scandura/status/1126073135537754114?s=20)

Where is Osprey 1? It is probably already in the air.

10:14 UTC (12:14 CEST): RUBBER1 Alarm Phone posts on Twitter: “Boat in urgent distress off #Libya! Since the morning, we are in contact with a boat, reportedly carrying 150ppl. Once we obtained a GPS position at 11.15h CEST, we passed it on to the MRCC Rome. Boat’s engine is broken, there is a hole, water is coming in.” https://twitter.com/hashtag/Libya?src=hashtag_click

10:33 UTC: Mare Jonio sends an e-mail to COMANDO MARICOGECAP <itmrcc@mit.gov.it> MRCC Rome, offering its immediate availability to provide assistance. Mare Jonio shares its current position, which is 33°29 N – 013°08 E (Source: original e-mail and Mare Jonio’s ship’s log).

11:09 UTC 13:09 CEST. RUBBER1 Alarm Phone writes: Authorities in #Rome #Valletta and #Tripoli are informed. The travellers off #Libya are trying to block the hole in the boat with their clothes.

The boat’s last position at 11:15 CET: N32°34’35.16”, E014°46’9.84”

11:25 UTC (13:25 CEST): RUBBER1 AP writes: “We have been informed that an aircraft belonging to #eunanavformed is headed towards the danger area, while, according to our source, a boat belonging to the so-called Libyan coast guard is also en route. (NOTE: ask AP if they still have screenshots of the route of Frontex aircraft, and what aircraft were they referring to, Osprey 1 or COTOS?) https://twitter.com/hashtag/eunanavformed?src=hashtag_click

11:49 UTC 13:49 CEST: RUBBER1 Last contact of AP with the boat: the migrants say that two people fainted and are in critical medical condition.

12:13 UTC: Scandura writes: “The Mediterranean is quite crowded today. Two task groups are stationed East of Tripoli, 25 miles North of Khoms, MMI “Mare Sicuro”, platforms and the usual coming and going of trade ships”.

Around 12:40 UTC (14:40 CEST): patrol boat Sabratha reaches RUBBER1. They take on board all the migrants on the inflatable dinghy: 107 in total, of which 88 are men, 12 are women and 7 are children. Nationalities: Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, Mali, Bangladesh. (Source: Libyan reports on FB)

SEIZURE OF RUBBER1: we might have a video, here https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1126248018511040518?s=20

We think it is RUBBER1 as you can see women and children (who were not present on RUBBER2).

UNKNOWN TIME – according to the victims’ testimonies: One of the refugees on RUBBER2, Mortada, recalls that, after the big Spanish plane and the smaller white one, a small plane flew really close to them. Mortada could see the two pilots’ faces while they were waving their hands.

From 14:57 to 15:07 UTC: Moonbird flies over RUBBER2 at coordinates 33d27N 014d49E.

There is a video of Moonbird – Sea Watch which we think captures this moment. You can watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eh0jOcY970

Transcript of the video:

“…During our second mission, we learned that a wooden boat was in distress to the East. While we were searching for that boat, we found a white dinghy with over 80 people on board. The dinghy was moving but it was in poor conditions. The hardest thing is that today there were four aircraft in the sky with us, all belonging to the European Union, while there was not a single EU rescue ship. Instead, all those aircrafts were trying to bring the Libyans there to deport these people to Libya as quickly as possible, where they (the migrants) face incredible horrors. The question is: how is it possible that the MRCC in Rome did not inform the only NGO rescue ship there, Mare Jonio, of these cases and did not ask (that ship) to actually save those people. How is it possible that the EU was funding all these air patrol missions and did not send rescue ships there, but rather blocked our ships?”

There is also a photo (it was in Le Monde’s video) taken by Moonbird.

16:22 UTC (18:22 CEST): Sea Watch e-mails the MRCC Rome cc’ing Mare Jonio to inform them that the aircraft Moonbird has detected a white dinghy (RUBBER2) at location 33d27N 14d49E. (Source: Mare Jonio’s ship’s log + copy of the e-mail)

16:39 UTC: Mare Jonio e-mails the MRCC Rome attesting it is ready to provide assistance to the white dinghy:

To: MRCC Rome <itmrcc@mit.gov.it>
Cc: airborneoperations@sea-watch.org <airborneoperations@sea-watch.org>

Sir, T/B R.re Mare Jonio, in mission of observation and monitoring in Central Mediterranean Sea, currently in position 33°33 N – 013°18 E, just got this communication from airplane Moonbird. We are now heading to the white rubber boat position noticed by airplane Moonbird in 33°27 N – 014°47 E, ready to offer our assistance. Please forward to us Your instructions. Best regards

(Source: Mare Jonio’s ship’s log + original e-mail – all the material we have)

17:03 UTC: Mare Jonio calls the MRCC Rome again, which responds that the Libyans have taken on the coordination of the operation.

17:12 UTC (19:12 local time): EUnavforMed Sophia SPAF D.4-07 Casa CN-235 #CN35 callsign COTOS #AME0206, Sigonella based, completed ISR SAR mission over mediterranean (Source: Scandura https://twitter.com/scandura/status/1126185075413061634?s=20 ) https://twitter.com/hashtag/CN35?src=hashtag_click https://twitter.com/hashtag/AME0206?src=hashtag_click

17:17 UTC: Patrol boat Sabratha (back from Khoms after disembarkation of RUBBER1) reaches RUBBER2, 63 miles Northwest of Zlinen. They find 106 migrants, all men, of Arabic and African nationalities (Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Guinea Conakry, Niger, Chad, Mali, Senegal). (Source: Libyan reports on FB https://twitter.com/rgowans/status/1126394429043105792?s=20)

17:17 UTC: One of Frontex planes (Osprey 1 or COTOS) takes aerial photos during the seizure at sea. We will call them FA1, FA2, FA3.

Above here FA1

Above here FA2

Above here FA3

NOTE: in FA1 and FA2 the time code can be seen, but not in FA3.

The coordinates can also be seen, namely:

FA1) at 17:17 — 33:33:12N 14:49:11E

FA2) at 17:18 — 33:33:02N 14:49:24E

FA3) at ? —33 31 10N 14 48 20E (note: in FA3 the coordinates are blurry, but we managed to piece them together).

67 miles North of Zliten. This confirms that it is the seizing of RUBBER2, not of the first boat.

17:42 UTC: Mare Jonio writes a NEW e-mail to COMANDO MARICOGECAP. Text:
“Good evening, from R.re Mare Jonio, on an observation and monitoring mission in the Central Mediterranean, currently at position 33°34 N – 013°28 E. Following the instructions you provided in the telephone conversation at 19:33, we have repeatedly attempted to contact the Libyan authorities who are coordinating the SAR event in question, both via radio Ch 16 VHF and by calling the IMO gis telephone number 00218214446799, four times without receiving a response to our offer of assistance. We request further instructions. In the meantime, we will resume our navigation along the previous route.”

17:49 UTC: GCL announces on Twitter that they have carried out a wiretapping and are looking for a second boat. “The first rescue operation was carried out at the reception point and is now being searched on another boat if it was found”. They are referring to RUBBER1 and RUBBER2. (Source: https://twitter.com/CoastGuardLIBYA/status/1126182298746015746?s=20 )

18:37 UTC: The Libyans post on Twitter the aerial photo number 3 – FA3. The caption displays the seizure of RUBBER1; we are not sure about the photo.

19:18 UTC (21:18 CEST): RUBBER1: AP writes: MRCC #rome @guardiacostiera informed us that the 150 people were found and picked up by the so-called #Libyan #CoastGuard. We cannot reach the #boat anymore. We have to assume yet another #pullback to the Libyan warzone. #migrants

Around 20:35 UTC (22:35 CEST): Patrol boat Sabratha disembarks the migrants of RUBBER2 in Khoms (Source: Libyan reports on FB)

23:39 UTC (1:39 CAT of 9 May): Ali AL Twair, who works at the port of Khoms, posts photos and videos of the disembarking of the people intercepted on RUBBER2. Link https://www.facebook.com/ali.altweair/posts/pfbid0241JuW3bb1fhGFn9tnwZVJAcHpZXHMLw47Jq8h4tRbwfbsG3fchvutBUN8b8reVoYl

In the video, at the link https://www.facebook.com/100001577629354/videos/pcb.2336359319759966/2336303539765544, you can see basically all the pushback victims getting off patrol boat Sabratha 654 in the port of Khoms.

We have lightened the video and posted it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dZBZwXnDtY

In the video, the number of Sabratha 654 can be seen clearly.

Thursday 9 May, 2019, at 01:33 UTC (03.33 CAT): Local news agency Alkmus.twa posts on Facebook some of Ali Al Twair’s photos and the account of the desembarking. https://www.facebook.com/alkums.twa/posts/2305727359664733/?paipv=0&eav=AfYS1eSCptFAPIFsPQzpmUtFubRs1DRArcYVD5OkbQu1FI-2SSWf5CpK2jVqwWQmLro&_rdr