Athens, Greece – Last summer, a disturbing video showing asylum seekers tied up and blindfolded in a van on a Greek resort island spread widely online.

Initially, the authenticity of the video was challenged, with Theodosis Nikitaras, the mayor of Kos, accusing the NGO that posted it of spreading false information.

New documents from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) have now verified the event, attributing the actions to individuals “likely working in concert” with Greek officials.

The 44-second video, shared by Aegean Boat Report NGO on June 26, 2023, the day the event occurred, has been viewed more than 660,000 times on X.

The NGO, known for highlighting human rights violations at Greece's sea borders with Turkey, said the video came from the van's occupants.

The group included a child and several Palestinians who arrived in Kos as asylum seekers from Turkey.

A woman managed to hide a phone in her bra and reached out to the NGO via WhatsApp, asking for assistance. A video she sent shows individuals being told to “shut up” in Greek by two unknown men in the van after a request to use the toilet.

Frontex reported there were 13 people in the van.

In a Serious Incident Report by Frontex's Fundamental Rights Office, responsible for rights abuse in Frontex activities, it states that masked men impersonating police officers approached the group, offering to take them to a camp.

However, the group was searched and placed in the van. All but the woman and child were tied and blindfolded, with several men having masking tape over their eyes.

The report described how the woman was slapped by the masked men, who then destroyed her phone upon realizing the video was spreading online. The detainees were denied toilet access and spent 16 hours in the van before being released by masked men, only to be apprehended by Greek police with a Frontex patrol.

The report concluded that the video on social media matched the individuals Frontex encountered, with signs on their wrists indicating they were tied.

A statement from the Hellenic Coast Guard to Al Jazeera said there was “no incident with third-country nationals recorded [on that date] in the wider sea region of Kos,” but did not comment on the alleged abuse.

The Kos mayor’s office stated the case against Aegean Boat Report is in preliminary investigation.

Aegean Boat Report claimed in late May that the mayor knew about the incident and tried to cover it up by attacking the organization that posted the video.

Those detained reportedly received asylum status, with some leaving the country, a source told Al Jazeera.

Pavlos Eleftheriadis, a legal studies professor at New York University Abu Dhabi, labeled the incident as “a criminal matter”.

“These are criminal acts, this is abduction,” he told Al Jazeera. “It is shocking that these are not regularly investigated by prosecutors on these islands,” he added, pointing out the involvement of police and Coast Guard officers disguised as civilians.

Tommy Olsen, the founder of Aegean Boat Report, has been frequently targeted by Greek authorities. A national arrest warrant, soon to be international, was issued against him based on a 2021 police investigation accusing him of aiding in the illegal entry of refugees and migrants into Greece. Olsen denies the charges.

The UN’s special rapporteur for human rights defenders described the actions against Olsen as “disturbing” and called the investigation an attempt to criminalize his work.

The latest incident is part of continuing allegations against Greek authorities and Frontex, the EU’s most-funded agency. Frontex has faced accusations of complicity in human rights abuses, particularly pushbacks—expelling refugees before they claim asylum—a practice violating international and EU law. Greece denies these, blaming criminal networks instead.

In 2022, Fabrice Leggeri, then-head of Frontex, resigned following an EU fraud agency investigation that found he was involved in concealment efforts regarding such misconduct. Hans Leijtens, his successor, vowed for transparency and ending pushbacks involving Frontex.

However, documents obtained via Freedom of Information Requests show ongoing human rights violations at the EU’s borders. Frontex’s conclusions highlight various abuses from pushing back people to Turkish waters to theft and ill-treatment of asylum seekers. Greek authorities often display reluctance to investigate thoroughly.

Frontex’s spokesperson affirmed their commitment to lawful and respectful operations, stressing that discontinuing their support is a last-resort option that would affect joint border security and life-saving efforts.