‘El Hiblu 1 Case’ Defence Team

On 30 March 2019 three teenage migrants – aged 15, 16 and 19 – were charged before Malta’s Courts.

The most serious charges include acts of terrorism. If found guilty, they’ll spend the rest of their lives in prison.

They were rescued by a commercial vessel, the El Hiblu 1.

Despite promises that they would be delivered to safety, the El Hiblu 1 sailed to Libya.

Upon realising what had happened, the rescued migrants protested.

They simply couldn’t be returned to the horrible treatment they’d been suffering in Libya.


We have made our concerns clear to the Maltese authorities about the treatment of the three young migrants and what we believe to be exaggerated charges against them, and urged them to reconsider the charges.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, May 2019.

Migrants held in the centres are systematically subjected to starvation and severe beatings, burned with hot metal objects, electrocuted and subjected to other forms of of ill-treatment with the aim of extorting money from their families through a complex system of money transfers.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2018.

aditus foundation and Mifsud and Mifsud Advocates are proudly defending the three teenagers.

We believe this to be a serious injustice.

We cannot do this alone. We need your help.