In a landmark decision, the Piraeus Jury Court has ruled that the 2017 sinking of the oil tanker Agia Zoni II in the Saronic Gulf was a deliberate act intended for financial gain, resulting in one of Greece’s worst environmental disasters in recent memory.
The court found that the defendants were guilty of multiple environmental crimes, including the intentional sinking of a vessel, discharge of polluting substances, and causing environmental damage for profit reported WWF. It also acknowledged moral complicity in the offenses and affirmed that the marine and coastal ecosystems are protected common goods under Greek law.
According to the court’s findings, the aging 1972 tanker sank under suspicious circumstances in the early hours of September 10, 2017, after valves and cargo tank hatches were deliberately opened by crew members, creating an asymmetrical list that led to its flooding and eventual sinking. The vessel had been loaded with nearly 2,200 metric tons of fuel, of which an estimated 500–700 tons leaked into the sea, contaminating the coastline from Salamina to Athens’ southern suburbs.
The ruling followed a long-delayed process that began in October 2024, seven years after the incident. During the trial, new technical evidence suggested that structural damage consistent with explosive force may have contributed to the sinking. This contrasted with earlier findings from maritime accident authorities, who had attributed the incident to human negligence and poor safety practices.
A handout satellite photo dated 13 September 2017, made available on 19 September 2017 by European Space Imaging, showing containment buoys visible around the sunk tanker on the Salamis coastline, Greece. The small tanker ship ‘Agia Zoni II’ sank on 10 September while anchoring off the coast of Salamina, near Greece’s main port of Piraeus, with a cargo of 2,200 tons of fuel oil and 370 tons of marine fuel oil on board. EPA/EUROPEAN SPACE IMAGING
The motive, according to the court, was to claim compensation from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC) and insurance providers. Cleanup efforts cost millions, and dozens of claims remain unresolved.
WWF Greece, which had filed a criminal complaint shortly after the spill, welcomed the decision as a milestone for environmental justice and a warning against maritime malpractice.
