‘Il-Ballata tal-Hiblu Tlieta’: Maltese Song Pleads For Charges To Be Dropped
Writer Gabriel Schembri and musician Francesco Frendo released a song titled “Il-Ballata tal-Hiblu Tlieta,” recounting the hardships and injustices faced by the three teenagers who have been charged with terrorism.
The song, which is in Maltese, features Frendo playing the guitar while Schembri recites lines about how, “amid the tortures of Libya, in a land forsaken by God, a few dozen escaped: Amara, Kader and Abdalla among the lot.”
The writer described how, while on their way to Malta aboard a boat carrying over 100 individuals fleeing civil unrest and human rights abuses, the captain who initially rescued them tried to return them to Libya.
Abdalla, Amara, and Kader served as translators and mediators between the distressed passengers and crew, persuading the captain to redirect towards Malta. Upon arrival, however, they were arrested by the authorities. They were just 15, 19, and 16 years old back then.
Almost five years later, they still face charges ranging from terrorism to illegal detention and assault, despite criticism by local and international human rights organisations deeming these accusations baseless.
“Attorney General, in your hands is the life of El Hiblu 3. Go now, drop the charges and set our friends free,” the song ends.
Just last month, former President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca delivered a powerful speech during a demonstration outside the law courts, showing solidarity for the five years of legal uncertainty endured by the El Hiblu 3. “
They don’t even have evidence,” she stated, before stressing that human rights are universal, applying to everyone, not just locals.
She highlighted the heroic deeds of these boys, portraying them as saviours who rescued 120 individuals from potential torture, rather than criminals.
“What more could they have done?” she questioned.
Share this song with someone who has been following the El Hiblu 3 case
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