Seven years after their arrest following the El Hiblu case, Abdalla, Amara and Kader continue to face prosecution in Malta for resisting an illegal return to Libya and acting as mediators on board the merchant vessel El Hiblu 1. On 28 March 2026, members of civil society gathered in Valletta to renew calls for justice and the immediate dropping of all charges against the El Hiblu 3.
Excerpts from the speeches held in Valletta in solidarity with the ElHiblu 3
"… Today, Saturday 28th March 2026, we mark the 7th anniversary of the wrongful arrest of three human rights defenders, our friends Abdalla, Amara and Kader. As a Coalition made up of many local and international organisations and individuals, we continue to stand in solidarity with the three young men, whom we celebrate as Human Rights Defenders. In the face of an illegal pushback to Libya, Abdalla, Amara and Kader showed incredible bravery as mediators and translators. As a Coalition, we reiterate our call to the authorities to end this injustice and drop the charges! We join a chorus of international NGOs, among which are various United Nations bodies who, most recently, this January 2026 urged Malta to end the unjustified prosecution of the El Hiblu 3…."
Dr. Cetta Mainwaring, Coalition for El Hiblu 3
"… This case has now been ongoing for seven years. Seven years of uncertainty. Seven years in which these young men have lived under the weight of serious criminal charges, without resolution.
Justice delayed to this extent is not neutral. It is not procedural. It is itself a form of injustice. The European tradition of justice, to which Malta belongs, is not blind to time. It recognises that proceedings must be conducted within a reasonable time, and that the burden placed on individuals by the criminal process must be proportionate and justified.
That standard is not being met here. The continued pursuit of these charges, in these circumstances, raises serious questions about proportionality, about fairness, and about the responsible use of prosecutorial discretion…."
Prof. Vicki-Ann Cremona, President, Repubblika
"… On Thursday, the Minister for Home Affairs posted on his Facebook account a photo of a Black person being arrested by two police officers. The caption read: ´We will send back any foreigner who doesn’t collaborate, even if they have spent 15 years here.'
There was no explanation of what "collaboration” means, but that Black person was exposed there, mobbed by a cyber crowd of racists. That is how stories without context are channelled, and some people are immediately seen as a problem before they are even seen as human. (…)
People -I mean real human beings- are easily reduced to labels: Illegal. threat. As if their lives, their stories, everything they’ve been through, doesn’t matter.
But people are neither categories, nor headlines. People are human beings. And yet, again and again, we see people who have already gone through so much - violence, danger, loss - arriving here and being treated with suspicion instead of dignity.
Some are in their seventh year of one of the most unjust court cases in the history of Malta: the El Hiblu case. Seven years of fear, of anguish, of broken hopes. Seven years hoping that the case will be dismissed because, when we look closely at it, there is simply no case. Some people will say that it’s complicated. But honestly, it is not complicated. It is not complicated to treat people with dignity and to recognise someone’s humanity. It is not complicated to refuse injustice. What is complicated is the system that keeps justifying why some people deserve less. And we shouldn’t accept that…."
Regine Nguini, Director, African Media Association Malta
"…As we speak, the International Criminal Court has in its custody a Libyan individual accused of committing crimes against humanity against Libyans, migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. In light of all this evidence, it is our hope that the Maltese authorities and judicial system will deliver immediate justice and free the El-Hiblu 3. They have been wronged and accused of terrorism for saving themselves from torture and enslavement.
For us, and for many around the world, you are heroes. You are true human rights defenders. We say now: seven years are enough and we can only thank you for fighting still. This nightmare must come to an end because we truly believe and know that you are all innocent of the allegations and charges placed against you.
Thank you for doing the right thing."
David Yambio, Refugees in Libya
Full-length versions of all speeches: https://elhiblu3coalition.org/sevenhoursforsevenyears/
