Repubblika says it will not be silenced by intimidatory campaign

Rule of law NGO Repubblika said on Wednesday that it will not be intimidated or silenced by a campaign in the Labour media directed against civil society activists, non-governmental organisations, and individuals who express critical views of the government.

It said that groups that declare their loyalty to the Labour Party are creating artificial intelligence-generated images to humiliate individuals, including Robert Aquilina, Jason Azzopardi, Vicki Ann Cremona, Manuel Delia, Ranier Fsadni and Kevin Cassar, among others, the NGO said. These images echo the rhetoric of the Labour Party’s official media, which attributes to these same individuals words they never said. 

"We have seen deliberately misleading representations of their views. We have also seen coordinated social media campaigns that encourage personal attacks and hatred," Repubblika said.

 "All this is taking place at a time when Malta will once again be confronted with difficult questions about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the need for full justice to be done. We cannot ignore the fact that many of those being targeted today are the same individuals and organisations that have, for years, insisted that the full truth about this assassination must emerge and that everyone responsible must be held accountable for their actions."

"There is no rule that says that winning an election gives anyone the right to silence their critics. A parliamentary majority is a mandate to govern, not a licence to remove from public life those who disagree with you," the NGO said. 

It stressed that it has no intention of retreating or restraining its voice. Nor will it respond to hatred with hatred.

"We will continue this work. Because we believe in it. Because we know it is necessary. And because Malta needs a civil society that is free, courageous, and independent — one that will not allow fear, hatred, or power to silence it," the NGO said.

Robert Aquilina files police report

Meanwhile, former Repubblika president Robert Aquilina filed a police report on Wednesday over a social media image of him, saying it was part of a process carried out over the years by the Labour Party and its associates fomenting a climate of hostility, hatred and violence against him.

The image, which was posted to a Labour-centred Facebook group, featured a doctored version of a ONE News post, depicting Aquilina as Golem from Lord of the Rings.

Aquilina said this was the same cruel and dangerous treatment as meted out to  Daphne Caruana Galizia and put him in real danger.

He said he had filed the report for purposes of protection and for proper investigation.

Should the police establish that crimes had been committed, Aquilina said he wished to be consulted before a decision was taken on any possible prosecutions because he did not wish to see fake actions. 

He said his request for an investigation should include not just the image he had presented, but the 'criminal designs' coordinated by the Labour Party to dehumanise and create a climate of threats, hatred and violence.