Activists mark seven years since start of El Hiblu 3 legal nightmare
In 2019, three teenagers were detained. They're now young men but still in legal limbo
Supporters of the El Hiblu 3 on Saturday marked seven years since three young men were arrested to face terrorism-related charges, renewing calls for the case to be dropped.
Abdalla Bari, Amara Kromah and Abdul Kader were aged 15, 16 and 19 when they were detained in March 2019 and accused of spearheading the hijack of an oil tanker that had rescued them and dozens of others at sea.
Campaigners say the youths acted as translators and mediators to calm migrants who grew panicked after seeing the tanker returning them to Libya. The ship's captain claimed they acted like they were in charge. The three were arrested upon arrival in Malta and accused of multiple crimes, including terrorism, which can carry a life sentence.
Their situation has drawn international attention and remains one of Malta's most high-profile and controversial migration prosecutions.
In January, UN Special Rapporteurs urged Malta to end the prosecution, calling it unjustified. The case remains ongoing.
A coalition of activists is organising a seven-hour event on Saturday in Valletta to mark seven years since the trio were arrested.
Cetta Mainwaring from the Coalition for the El Hiblu 3 described the men as human rights defenders who helped prevent an illegal pushback to Libya. They have spent 2,556 days in legal limbo, she said, "robbing them of their youth and their futures."
“Seven years of uncertainty... Justice delayed to this extent is not neutral," said Vicki-Ann Cremona, president of the rule of law NGO Repubblika.
Katrine Camilleri, director of Jesuit Refugee Service Malta, said the documented cycles of torture, extortion, and forced labour in Libya underscored why the rescued passengers were desperate not to be returned there.
Activists also used the vigil to point to broader societal issues in Malta.
Regine Nguini, director of the African Media Association Malta, accused politicians of normalising racism and linked the case to wider issues about the way in which migrants are portrayed in public discourse and institutions.