Democratic Lawyers Demand an End to the Proceedings against the El Hiblu 3

A delegation of lawyers from the Democratic Lawyers of Switzerland (DJS) and the European
Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights (ELDH) observed the
verdict by the Maltese Court of Appeal on 22nd of January 2025 regarding the jurisdiction
of the Maltese courts in the case against the so-called «El Hiblu 3». Nearly six years after
their crossing of the Mediterranean, the three young adults — two of whom were present
in court — still face serious criminal charges, even though the court has so far dealt only
with procedural matters. The observers expressed deep concern about the course of the
proceedings in Malta.
The terrorism charges contained in the indictment, which has not yet been substantively
dealt with, are significantly disproportionate to the accounts given by the defendants, but
also to the facts as presented by the prosecution. It is therefore more likely to be politically
motivated than factually based accusations – it is a trial in line with the European policy of
isolation, which is intended to have a chilling effect. It is one of a large number of proceedings
aiming to criminalize refugees.