The Left-to-Die Boat (2012)
This work reveals how the sea is used as a deadly weapon. In the maritime area north of Libya, which at the time was the most closely monitored by NATO, 63 people lost their lives in March 2011. Using the same surveillance techniques that NATO uses, this reconstruction shows that the Maltese and Italian governments, various ships, and military vessels deliberately left the people on board to their fate.
Though Lampedusa was just 18 hours away, their deadly journey in a dinghy lasted 14 days. Once the fuel ran out, the ship was consigned to the sea’s currents. Despite several distress signals and the transmission of their location via GPS, two military helicopters and a ship, fishing boats and large sailing craft turned their backs on them.
According to official figures alone, 14,000 people have lost their lives in the ‘sea of impunity’ in recent years.
Project Team
Charles Heller (Principal Investigator), Lorenzo Pezzani (Principal Investigator), Richard Limeburner, Samaneh Moafi, Rossana Padeletti
Extended Team
Donald Furguson, Lawrence Fox III, Manuel Jiminez Garcia, USF Prod, Goon Kid.
Produced within the context of Forensic Architecture with the support of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW).
Collaborators
SITU Research, Groupe d’information et de soutien des immigrés (GISTI), Migreurop, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Coordination et initiatives pour réfugiés et étrangers (CIRÉ), Lihue des droits de l’Homme (LDH), Human Rights Watch