WWF STATEMENT ON THE AGIA ZONI II OILSPILL COURT RULING

Posted on May, 19 2025

On May 15, 2025, the Piraeus Jury Court reached its verdict on the trial for the sinking of the tanker "Agia Zoni II". The court found that the crimes of causing pollution for financial gain, deliberately sinking a ship, discharge of polluting substances from a ship, and moral complicity in the aforementioned acts had been committed. In addition, the Court accepted that damage had been caused to several aspects of the environment as a common good, namely both the marine and coastal environment.

According to the evidence heard during the deliberations and upheld by court majority, the Agia Zoni II, a 1972 oil tanker, was deliberately sunk for financial gain in September 2017. Its sinking resulted in the largest oil spill in Greece in recent years and caused extensive pollution of the sea and coastline of the greater Athens area, in the Saronic Gulf. Before its sinking, the Agia Zoni II had loaded 247 metric tons of mazut oil, 1247 metric tons of heavy fuel oil, and 172 metric tons of marine gas oil, plus 548 metric tons of mazut, diesel and fuel oil which it carried as prior load. According to the relevant evidence, between 500 – 700 metric tons of oil leaked into the marine and coastal environment, causing extensive pollution and environmental damage.

Despite unjustified delays during the preliminary investigation and proceedings, the trial, which finally began seven years after the shipwreck (October 2024), was conducted on the basis of a very detailed and diligent evidentiary process. During the hearing, new evidence came to light regarding the environmental and economic dimensions of the crimes committed.

The penalties imposed are also based on Greek environmental law and will hopefully contribute to the protection of the marine environment and the prevention of similar environmental crimes.

The Agia Zoni ΙΙ case highlights how vulnerable the marine environment is to environmental crimes for economic gain. As Greek shipping enjoys a leading position in the global maritime sector, it is the duty of shipowners, the state and the judiciary to protect our seas and coasts and to ensure that no such crime will ever be committed again.

WWF Greece is satisfied with the proceedings and the decision.

Note:

In the early hours of September 10, 2017, the chemical/oil tanker Agia Zoni II sank in the Saronic Gulf, off the coast of Salamina Island. Within two days, the oil spill reached the port of Pireaus and the beaches of the southern suburbs of Athens. WWF Greece filled a criminal lawsuit against 'all responsible parties'. The legal basis of WWF Greece’s lawsuit, which was submitted to the Public Prosecutor of Piraeus on September 18th, are Law 1650 “on the protection of the environment, and the two most important EU directives on environmental protection by criminal law: Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law and Directive 2005/35/EC on ship-source pollution and criminal penalties.