Information about the island of Skorpios

Boaters in the Ionian Sea have reported aggressive guards on the island of Skorpios.

Skippers that venture too close to the islands of Skorpios and Sparti, which lies 2km north, are being met with armed guards, which are employed by the new Russian owner, Ekaterina Rybolovleva.

Greek law states that anything more than 10 meters from the beach is public land, so boats are legally allowed to anchor by the island.

However, guards may be acting under the Right to Privacy Law, which could be used to allow security teams to keep onlookers at bay.

It has also been suggested that the local authorities are turning a blind eye to the threatening behavior, due to the huge investment in the area. 

Ekaterina Rybolovleva, 25, bought the island from the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who in 1968 married Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, widow to US President John F. Kennedy.

There is currently an investigation on going to find out if the Rybolobleva family is legally able to claim ownership, since New Democracy MP Giannis Mihelakis raised the question in Greek Parliament.

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