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Today we and @ForensicArchi publish an update to our ‘drift-backs’ platform, an interactive web-based map that archives and verifies over 2,000 cases of ‘drift-backs’ in the Aegean Sea: aegean.forensic-architecture…
On 14 June 2023, a boat carrying several hundred migrants sank inside the Greek Search and Rescue zone in the Mediterranean Sea, constituting the deadliest migrant shipwreck in recent history. Forensis reconstructed the events leading up to the incident: counter-investigations.org/i…
Our digital reconstruction of the boat and its trajectory reveals that actions by the Hellenic Coast Guard’s (HCG) led to the drowning of over 600 people, and that the HCG’s account of the incident was misleading.
When the engine of the migrant boat stopped, the HCG approached it again, its stern touching their bow. A masked man climbed onto their boat and tied a rope to the railing, off-centre, to the right.
We interviewed survivors who testified that the towing of the boat by the HCG led to its capsizing, and that after the boat tilted on its side, the HCG left the scene, returning only 30’ later to rescue people in the water
vimeo.com/843117800
All the survivors we talked to were traumatised & afraid of repercussions from the Greek authorities. They requested to not be identified. When asked why they risked speaking to us, one of them replied ‘I lost my friends, cousin, brother-in-law. I need to find them some justice’.
All interviewed survivors had their phones taken from them. Some remembered filming the moments that led to the sinking, and having their phones protected in waterproof cases. None of these phones have been returned.
After the sinking, survivors climbed onto the hull of the capsized boat. The HCG boat left, creating large waves that accelerated the sinking, and made swimming difficult for people adrift. 20-30’ passed before they returned on a RHIB and started looking for people in the water.
We combined satellite imagery, videos and photos, vessel tracking data, and testimonies from coast guard officials to map the trajectory of the migrant boat. View on our interactive platform: pylos.counter-investigations…
To evidence this practice, we have spent the past 2 years collecting, verifying, timestamping and geolocating thousands of images, videos, & GPS locations sent by asylum seekers to monitors like @alarm_phone and @ABoatReport, or taken by the Turkish CG during their ‘rescue’ ops.
The HCG tried to tow the migrant vessel twice. The first time, the rope broke within seconds. The second time, using the same rope, the HCG went even faster. The towing propelled the boat ‘like a rocket’, causing it to rock and capsize to the right.
With witnesses, we reconstructed the boat and the way people were distributed onboard. The boat had 3 decks, all filled with people, a total of 720-750. There were several women and children in a separate, guarded room in the front of the middle deck. None survived.
‘Drift-backs’ are a mode of expulsion that weaponises the geography of the Aegean at the EU’s external borders to deny asylum seekers safe passage. Intercepted in GR waters/islands by the @HCoastGuard, they are left adrift on life rafts, back to Turkey.
vimeo.com/730006259
The mapping shows that the events logged by the HCG captain in the bridge logs are inconsistent with the coordinates that accompany them. The logs say that between 23:57-00:44 the boat started moving westward at a speed of 3 kn. Instead, we found that it travelled at 4.95 kn.
Opening of the exhibition 'Three Doors' @FrankfurterKV: together with @19FebruarHanau, @OuryJalloh and @ForensicArchi we looked into authorities' neglect of and contributions to racially motivated violence in Germany
The witnesses described the conditions of the journey. The boat was lost, navigating using the position of the sun. The engine was overheating & malfunctioning, and supplies were running low, resulting in at least 2 people dying before the sinking. The boat was in clear distress.
The logs state that between 00:44-01:40 the vessel kept heading west. Instead, we found that it turned south, travelling 0.56nm in 56 minutes, at a near-halt speed of 0.6knots. The HCG captain fails to explain what happened during this 1 hour where the boat was stationary.
At around midnight, the HCG told the migrant boat to follow theirs. They said they would take them to Italian waters and hand them over to the Italian coast guard. This is consistent with the westward move reported in the HCG vessel logs.
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13. August 2020: Sammy Baker (23 J) wird in einer psychischen Krise von der Amsterdamer Polizei erschossen.
Auf Ersuchen seiner Familie ermitteln wir mit @forensicarchi.
Bitte teilen & unterstützen Sie unsere Arbeit: betterplace.org/de/projects/…
Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an early career researcher to join our team in Berlin.
Read more and apply here: counter-investigations.org/a…
Applications close on 25 August 2023
A year ago today, Russian forces bombed #Mariupol Theater. @CST_echo, supported by Forensis+@ForensicArchi interviewed survivors of the blast to tell an untold story of weeks of self-organisation, solidarity, and resistance: a city within a building.
piped.video/watch?v=j4EOd5kv…
Evidence is tampered with, survivors pressured and silenced.
Constructed, false blame is assigned to survivors labelled as smugglers.
The promise of independent inquiry becomes ever more implausible. A much-known pattern is repeated.
We need true, credible investigations.
Locating evidence for 2,010 drift-backs, resulting in the expulsion of 55,445 people, 24 deaths and 17 disappearances over three years (March 2020 - March 2023), this platform is the most complete ongoing documentation of one of Europe’s cruelest border management practices.
Beim #UNAHanau sagte @mimueller / @cdu_hessen, unsere Arbeit zur polizeilichen Reaktion auf den rassistischen Anschlag vom 19. Feb "völlig ohne Wert" sei & nannte uns "Scharlatane". Hier ein paar Dinge, die der UNA jetzt aufgrund unserer Arbeit weiß.
Gathering and comparing different sources capturing a single event, we matched groups of people who disappeared from Greek shores only to reappear drifting in Turkish waters, and plotted their precise trajectories on a map.
𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 - We call on @Europarl_EN, @EUCouncil, and @EU_Commission to establish an independent commission to assess the reasons for the large numbers of deaths in the Mediterranean and to learn from the Adriana shipwreck.
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Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an Operations Coordinator who is organised, responsible, reliable, has a keen eye for detail, and a strong ambition and willingness to work as part of an interdisciplinary team. Apply by 19 April. More info here: counter-investigations.org/a…
BREAKING 🇪🇺: Over the past three years, Greek PM @kmitsotakis has abandoned over 55,000 migrants to die on the Mediterranean Sea. New data from @ForensicArchi and @counterinv reveal over 2,000 violent and illegal expulsions known as 'drift-backs': bit.ly/3z8al4H
Auch die Hessische Polizei wusste intern, dass der Einsatz in Hanau einem Versagen glich. Es wird von einem „Informationsdefizit“ gesprochen, beteiligte Beamt:innen beklagten die „interne Kommunikation“, genau wie von @ForensicArchi & Forensis nahegelegt.
fr.de/rhein-main/terror-in-h…
There is still time to apply - deadline 25 August 2023.
Join our team of investigators in Berlin and become part of a brilliant team of artists, journalists, designers, architects and researchers, uncovering corporate and state corruption, violence & environmental destruction.
Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an early career researcher to join our team in Berlin.
Read more and apply here: counter-investigations.org/a…
Applications close on 25 August 2023
After the attack on civilians, came the attack on evidence. After inviting pro-war bloggers to the site to promote false theories of sabotage by #Ukraine, the occupying authorities sealed off & razed the remaining ruins, erasing a historic piece of #Mariupol's cultural heritage.
Underlining the importance of investigative work, our board member in interview with @TV5MONDEINFO explains the role of our 3D modeling in the investigation into the Pylos shipwreck.
Une enquête menée par des médias sur le terrible naufrage d'un bateau de migrants, il y a près d'un mois, a retracé le drame en analysant de nombreux documents et en interrogeant les survivants. Résultat : plusieurs éléments contredisent la version des garde-côtes grecs.
Naufrage de Migrants : l'hypothèse d'un remorquage raté
Today, @bobtrafford presents Forensis/@forensicarchi findings at the #UNAHanau inquiry into the locked emergency exit of the Arena bar in Hanau, where Hamza Kurtoviç and Said Nesar Hashemi were murdered.
Staatliche Ermittler*innen erklärten, es gebe keinen Untersuchungsanlass. Videos widerlegen Teile der offiziellen Darstellung des Vorfalls.
Unsere investigative Arbeit unterstützt Forderungen nach Rechenschaftspflicht & Gerichtsverfahren.
Danke fürs Teilen & Unterstützen!
🧵from our sister agency @ForensicArchi on our latest investigation that documents and maps more than 1000 'drift-backs' in the Aegean Sea. ‘Drift-backs’ are a new mode of illegal expulsion that weaponises the geography of the Aegean to deny asylum seekers access to safety.
Today we publish our latest, months-long investigation with @counterinv, an interactive cartographic platform that archives, verifies and maps over 1000 ‘drift-backs’ in the Aegean Sea: aegean.forensic-architecture…
Forensis is hiring two Assistant Researchers to join the team in Berlin. Demonstrably strong skills in 3D modeling, animation, and video editing + conceptual inclination to research. Applications close 5 September. More info & how to apply here: forensic-architecture.org/ab…
Wir freuen uns über die Verleihung des Kurator:innenpreises, die für uns auch vor allem für die Anerkennung der wichtigen anti-rassistischen Arbeit unserer Partner:innen @19FebruarHanau und @OuryJalloh steht.
Vielen, vielen Dank!
Gestern durfte ich zur Verleihung des Kurator*innenpreises 2022 an Franziska Nori @FrankfurterKV und @ForensicArchi /Forensis, @19FebruarHanau, Initiative in Gedenken an @OuryJalloh für „Three Doors“ die Laudatio halten. Und habe was zu #Museen und Kunstvereinen 2023 gesagt. 1/2
@forensicarchi + @counterinv haben bewiesen, dass die Kamera des Polizeihubschraubers, der in der Nacht über Hanau flog, auf die falsche Zeit eingestellt war. Vielleicht hält @mimueller es unwichtig, dass #UNAHanau genau weiß, wann die Ereignisse der Nacht stattgefunden haben.
The prize is awarded for ‘journalism based on the principles and values of the EU’. But the work honoured this year exemplifies how successive EU policies, violent border practices, and a culture of impunity are responsible for scarcely imaginable horror, and tragic loss of life.
There were also Palestinian refugees on that boat. Today, as Gaza is bombed mercilessly by the Israeli apartheid regime, with the tacit support of the EU, we underline our unreserved solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Έρευνα - κόλαφος: Μεγάλη αύξηση των επαναπροωθήσεων μέσα σε έναν χρόνο
Υπερδιπλασιάστηκε ο αριθμός των παράνομων επιχειρήσεων σε σχέση με την προηγούμενη διετία
efsyn.gr/ellada/dikaiomata/4…
Wenn ihr es für wichtig haltet, besser zu verstehen, wie die Polizei auf den rassistischen Anschlag vom 19. Feb reagierte, erfahrt ihr hier mehr über die Ergebnisse unserer Recherche (die wir im UNA nicht zeigen durften):
Wir zeigten, dass die Beamten, die die Eingangstür des Täters bewachten, um 23:03 nicht vor Ort waren und um 23:21 den Ort verließen. Obwohl die Beamten sagten, dass sie um 22:30-45 dort waren. Vielleicht hält @mimueller es für unwichtig, dass das Haus so lange unbesichtigt blieb
We dedicate this award to the survivors, to those who lost family members and loved ones, and to their memory. Their deaths have not gone unnoticed, and we demand that the racist border regime which caused them is dismantled.
Wir haben auch gezeigt, dass das Haus bis um Mitternacht nicht abgesperrt war; Zivilisten konnten am Auto des Täters vorbeigehen. Vielleicht hält @mimueller es für unwichtig, dass Zivilisten so nahe an das Haus eines gefährlichen und gewalttätigen Extremisten herankommen konnten
Forensis is hiring two Assistant Researchers to join the team in Berlin. Demonstrably strong skills in 3D modeling, animation, and video editing + conceptual inclination to research. Applications close 5 September. More info & how to apply here: forensic-architecture.org/ab…
Der #UNAHanau hatte nicht einmal das Heli-Videomaterial, bevor wir es 2022 auf der @frankfurterKV ausstellten. Einige Mitglieder des UNA-Komitees kamen zur Ausstellung, aber wir haben @mimueller dort nicht gesehen. Vielleicht hielt er es für unwichtig.
sueddeutsche.de/politik/hana…
13/ #ThreeDoors also documents over two years of struggle by the victims’ families & @19FebruarHanau for clarification, remembrance, justice & consequences. New videos bring the powerful testimonies given to #UNAHanau by bereaved family members and survivors to a wider audience.
Und haltet Ausschau nach weiteren Terminen für Three Doors, unsere Ausstellung mit den Initiativen @19FebHanau und @OuryJalloh, in 2024, in der wir auf den Abschlussbericht der UNA reagieren werden.
(Bilder: Norbert Miguletz)
Wir haben aufgedeckt, dass die Einsatzleiter nie mit dem Hubschrauber kommunizierten; in der #UNAHanau bestätigte dies einer der Piloten. Evtl. denkt @mimueller, es sei eine gute Ressourcenverwendung, wenn ein Hubschrauber nach einem Terroranschlag ohne Anweisungen herumfliegt.
Zumindest @mimuellers Chef, Ministerpräsident @Boris_Rhein, fand unsere Untersuchung Anfang des Jahres in Hanau studierenswert. Bundesinnenministerin @NancyFaeser auch.
By combining the 'situated testimony' of witnesses with fragments of photo & video evidence, @CST_echo & @counterinv reconstructed the life-world of the theatre; how people lived, ate, sheltered, & self-organised together, under the ever-present threat of Russian bombs.
Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an early career researcher to join our team in Berlin.
Read more and apply here: counter-investigations.org/a…
Applications close on 25 August 2023
@weizman_eyal and @maksy_taxi will stage a lecture performance this Friday at 9pm as part of the program of @blnfestspiele.
Come join us and be guided through the reconstruction of the bombed Marioupol Drama Theatre and its lifeworld of solidarity.
berlinerfestspiele.de/en/ber…
Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an Operations Coordinator who is organised, responsible, reliable, has a keen eye for detail, and a strong ambition and willingness to work as part of an interdisciplinary team. Apply by 19 April. More info here: counter-investigations.org/a…
14/ The exhibition also features a new video triptych detailing the failures of the police emergency call system, which Vili-Viorel Păun tried to reach repeatedly but did not get through, and the podcast series ‘The Void of Hanau’ by @SWR2: swr.de/swr2/doku-und-feature…
24/ If you’d like to support @forensicarchi and Forensis’ continued work on the Hanau case, as we engage with the #UNAHanau inquiry and work with survivors and family members to develop new evidence, please consider contributing here: betterplace.org/de/projects/…
Grateful for the insightful piece by @isa_crispino for the @gijn, showcasing the power of collaborative investigative work to combat human rights violations and the ongoing violence at the EU borders.
Forensis is hiring two Assistant Researchers to join the team in Berlin. Demonstrably strong skills in 3D modeling, animation, and video editing + conceptual inclination to research. Applications close 5 September. More info & how to apply here: forensic-architecture.org/ab…
This tragedy is one more manifestation of the double standards that underpin so-called ‘European values’, where racialized people are subjected to perpetual violence and harm, enacted or facilitated by states, be it in our cities, at Europe’s borders, in Palestine, or elsewhere.
Many of those who survived, whose bravery made this work possible, are still trapped in the Greek refugee camp system, waiting interminably for decisions, and navigating a system that has repeatedly sent them the message that their lives don’t matter.
Our work demonstrated that the Hellenic coast guard's actions led to the capsizing of a boat carrying migrants, causing more than 600 deaths & they then sought to conceal their role in the catastrophe. Years of reporting shows this event is not an outlier.
On 14 June 2023, a boat carrying several hundred migrants sank inside the Greek Search and Rescue zone in the Mediterranean Sea, constituting the deadliest migrant shipwreck in recent history. Forensis reconstructed the events leading up to the incident: counter-investigations.org/i…
In February 2020, nine people were killed in a racist terror attack in #Hanau, Germany. The actions of the police that night raise important questions about their conduct; we are working with @19februarhanau and the families of the victims to examine some of those questions.
Forensis is hiring! We are looking for an early career researcher to join our team in Berlin.
Read more and apply here: counter-investigations.org/a…
Applications close on 25 August 2023
3/ Wir zeigen, dass sie entgegen der Behauptung des Staatsanwalts genügend Zeit hatten, durch den Notausgang zu entkommen, wenn sie dorthin gerannt wären. Wäre er offen gewesen, hätten Hamza und Said Nesar überleben können.
15/ Our 3rd investigation at @FrankfurterKV presents new findings on the murder of Oury Jalloh. On 7 Jan 2005, Oury was arrested & detained in Dessau Police Station. Hours later, he was found dead in the cell, his body severely burned. Police claimed his death was self-inflicted.
'How can it be that a police helicopter circles above Kesselstadt half an hour after the attack without being told the perpetrator's address for over two hours? Just another incident of police failure? Or something worse?' Asks Çetin, brother of Gökhan Gültekin #SayTheirNames
5/ In a press conference at the exhibition’s opening, @armin_kurtovic, Hamza’s father, presented new evidence that the emergency exit was locked that night, and that Hamza, Said Nesar and their friends knew it. fr.de/rhein-main/hanau-neue-…
Mehr als 100 Besucher kamen zur letzten Führung durch unsere Ausstellung #ThreeDoors mit Initiativen @19FebruarHanau + @OuryJalloh im @hkw_berlin. Sie ist noch bis zum 30. Dezember zu sehen: hkw.de/en/programm/projekte/…
24/ Wenn Sie die weitere Arbeit von @forensicarchi & Forensis im Fall Hanau, zur #UNAHanau-Untersuchung & unsere Kooperation mit Überlebenden und Familienmitgliedern zur Erarbeitung weiterer Beweise unterstützen möchten, können Sie einen Beitrag leisten: betterplace.org/de/projects/…
Join us for the closing event on Saturday the 10th of September, where bereaved relatives and survivors of racist & antisemitic violence come together to discuss their experiences and perspectives in the struggle for remembrance and accountability. nitter.app/19FebruarHanau/status/…
@mimueller / @cdu_hessen: wollen Sie den Verfasser dieses Berichts ebenfalls als "Scharlatan" bezeichnen und den Bericht selbst als "unsachlich und inkompetent"?
Beim #UNAHanau sagte @mimueller / @cdu_hessen, unsere Arbeit zur polizeilichen Reaktion auf den rassistischen Anschlag vom 19. Feb "völlig ohne Wert" sei & nannte uns "Scharlatane". Hier ein paar Dinge, die der UNA jetzt aufgrund unserer Arbeit weiß.
9/ A sound experiment, built w/ @andersonacousti, found that if shots were fired in the house at the time official reports claimed, police must have heard them. In fact, they would have been audible in the area for most of the night, but police weren’t close enough to hear them.
16/ Working with the Initiative @OuryJalloh, we reconstructed part of the cell and the surrounding corridor as both a digital and physical model. Onto this model, we digitally ‘projected’ images of the cell taken by the police after the fire.
11/ A police helicopter could also have provided surveillance, but it was never informed of the address of the perpetrator. As a result, it only surveilled the perpetrator’s house for 14 minutes during the night. In fact, the helicopter pilots were confused about their role.
8/ Police nearby claimed not to have heard the gunshots from inside the house. In 2021, efforts by the families and the @19FebruarHanau revealed that 13 of the officers on the scene that night had been part of far-right group chats. op-online.de/region/hanau/ha…
2/ Unser erster Fall betrifft den Notausgang der Arena Bar in Hanau-Kesselstadt, wo Hamza Kurtović & Said Nesar Hashemi ermordet wurden. Sie versuchten nicht, durch den Notausgang zu fliehen, weil sie wussten, dass dieser routinemäßig verschlossen war. vimeo.com/657458962
10/ The first police on the scene were plainclothes surveillance teams. But for more than an hour, the rear of the house and garden were completely unsurveilled, while one team abandoned its position after less than 20 minutes - leaving the perpetrator’s front door unobserved.