Press Statement Archives - aditus foundation

Statement From Civil Society Supporting A Public Inquiry Into The Circumstances Of Jean Paul Sofia’s Untimely Death

Today, 12th July 2023, Parliament will be voting on the motion to initiate a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death, after he was killed in a building collapse in Kordin. Civil society organisations will be supporting Jean Paul Sofia’s family from the public gallery in Parliament.

Regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigations and the magisterial inquiry, without a public inquiry that questions the circumstances of Jean Paul’s death, more people will be killed or injured on construction sites. These deaths and injuries can be prevented if the Maltese State learns lessons from Jean Paul’s death. The questions that must be asked include whether Jean Paul Sofia’s death could have been prevented; whether there were and are systemic and administrative failures that are contributing to fatalities and injuries on construction sites; and how action can be taken to prevent such fatalities and injuries.

World Refugee Day 2023: How can Malta be more welcoming to refugees?

Malta Refugee Council statement on World Refugee Day 2023

Every year, World Refugee Day invites us to remember the men, women and children who were forced to flee their homes in search of safety. This year, to mark Malta’s forthcoming launch of its second National Integration Policy and Action Plan, the Malta Refugee Council wishes to urge Malta to develop a clear and inclusive pathway towards refugees being accepted and welcome.

Refugees who have settled here need better guidance on what it takes for them to be truly welcome in Malta. From the moment of their arrival, they are repeatedly told that Malta can never be their home. This harsh message follows them along their paths, where they are constantly subjects of criticism, discrimination and exclusion. After years of life in Malta and despite their best efforts, they remain on-lookers of Malta’s social and cultural life, burdened with the knowledge that Malta will never really be home.

On Prime Minister’s ‘Discomfort’

In comments at the State of The Nation conference this week, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he was not comfortable with the court’s conviction of a woman charged with abortion.

Today, we stuck messages in Parliament with one clear message to the Prime Minister:

We don’t want to hear about your discomfort.

We are done listening to your empty calls for debates and exchanges.

ToM: ElHiblu3 cargo ship linked to phantom terrorism incident, owned by self-proclaimed “Libyan Pirate”, caught smuggling € 76 million worth of cocaine.

The Times of Malta reports that:

The #ElHiblu3 cargo ship, linked to phantom terrorism incident in Malta in 2019 and owned by self-proclaimed “Libyan Pirate” Salah Ali Muhammad El Hiblu, was caught smuggling circa € 76 million worth of cocaine in Spain in 2021. The crew attempted to scuttle the vessel once they realised they were being intercepted, however, the Spanish police managed to recover the illegal cargo.

LGBTIQ+ NGOs Call on Maltese Government and Maltese MEPs to Support Transgender Rights in Slovakia

The Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM) alongside Allied Rainbow Communities, Drachma, LGBTI+ Gozo, Aditus, Checkpoint Malta, Moviment Graffitti and MMSA gathered in front of The Honorary Consulate of The Slovak Republic in Valletta on Thursday 4th May 2023 to show solidarity with the transgender community in Slovakia and to express concern about the proposed bill that would make legal gender recognition impossible in Slovakia. MGRM co-coordinator Cynthia Chircop spoke out against the bill, which would require transgender individuals to undergo a genetic test to prove that their gender was incorrectly determined at birth, a test that would be virtually impossible for most transgender individuals to pass. We therefore call on Maltese Government and Maltese MEPs to Support Transgender Rights in Slovakia.

Chircop emphasised that the proposed bill would not only deprive transgender people of the opportunity to have their gender identity recognized legally but also goes against the right to self-determination and international human rights law. “The intention of this law is clear; to dehumanise, oppress and erase the transgender community,” said Chircop. “It will increase the risk of bullying, discrimination and violence that they already face. Everyone should be treated equally in front of the law, regardless of their gender identity.”