Activists took to the streets of Valletta on Friday evening to demand that charges against three young Libyan men accused of hijacking be dropped in light of new evidence which, they argue, discredits a main witness brought by the prosecution.  

A small crowd comprised of civil rights activists, educators and public figures, including President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, gathered outside the offices of the Attorney General to protest the continued indictment of the young men known in the press as the El Hiblu 3.

The three youths were arrested in 2019 after the crew of the merchant vessel El Hiblu 1 claimed they had been the ringleaders of a hijacking which had diverted the ship to Malta. 

Recent findings show, however, that the vessel was involved in a major cocaine bust less than two years later while operating under a different name, while its owner described himself on Facebook as a "Libyan pirate"’.  

Those defending the youths – who were unarmed and aged just 15, 16 and 19 at the time of the incident – argue this discredits the evidence given by the owner and crew of the El Hiblu 1.

It is not in country's interests to proceed in a travesty of justice that is being watched keenly worldwide- President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca

The lives of the three young men, Amara, Kader and Abdalla had been “shattered” since their arrival in Malta, Coleiro Preca said in a speech at Friday’s action.

“These young people have already suffered eight months in our prisons… and lived in legal limbo for nearly four and a half years,” she said. 

Characterising the ongoing legal proceedings as a “farce”, she called on the Attorney General to “do the right thing” and drop the charges.

“If it is a crime to speak English then yes, the Attorney General has every right to serve a bill of indictment,” Coleiro Preca said, in reference to the three acting as mediators onboard the El Hiblu 1 due to their English language abilities.

In a scathing attack on the El Hiblu 1’s owner, Salah el Hiblu, Coleiro Preca drew attention to his alleged “criminal cocaine activities” and "Libyan pirate" online persona, and questioned the truth of his testimony.

Slamming the case as a “total waste” of Malta’s time and resources, the President Emeritus questioned why the case was continuing.

"It is not in country's interests to proceed in a travesty of justice that is being watched keenly worldwide," she added. 

“We do not need any more stains on our reputation,” she said. 

"Enough is enough, is enough" - activist and educator Maria Pisani. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

Activist and University of Malta professor Maria Pisani drew attention to the length of the case, which has been ongoing since 2019.

“We were here six months ago, we were here a year ago, we were here two years ago, three years ago, four years ago… How much longer do they have to wait,” she said.

Blasting the case as “cruel,” Pisani asked how much longer the youths should “have to wait for justice… to think about the possibility of a future.”

“Enough is enough, is enough,” she said.

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola called on the authorities to leave children alone and concentrate on cases that were damaging Malta's reputation.

In September, an open letter signed by over 1,000 people and organisations, including President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, MEPs and church representatives, was sent to Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg urging her to drop the case.  

Activists report having not received a reply to the letter which they say was supported by Amnesty International and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.  

“The Attorney General has not deigned to respond to our open letter, despite having received it over eight months ago,” the group said in a press release on Friday.  

“Thus... representatives from Maltese civil society will reconvene at the Attorney General’s office... to end the uncertainty that these three young men face,” they said.  

In 2019, Amara, Kader and Abdalla were among 108 migrants rescued by the El Hiblu 1 after the rubber dinghy they were on started to sink while attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya.  

After realising they were being taken back to Libya – a country criticised by the United Nations, the US State Department and Amnesty International for its track record of human rights abuses against refugees – the migrants panicked and protested the move. 

During the protest, none of the crew were injured and the ship remained undamaged.  

Witnesses said the three teenagers had stepped in to calm the situation, acting as mediators due to their English language skills.  

Upon their arrival in Malta, they were arrested on charges of terrorism and hijacking and detained for seven months. Since then, they have lived in limbo while they wait for their case to be decided.

Should they be convicted, they face up to 30 years in jail.