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In the ‘Ballad of the El Hiblu 3’, Gabriel Schembri beautifully depicts what the #ElHiblu3 have been through and the absurdity of the accusations against them. Music by Francesco Frendo, video by Katel Delia, recordiang by Zir Portelli & 97 Notes.
On the 13th of April 2024, the Coalition for the El Hiblu 3 presented Abdalla Bari, Amara Kromah, and Abdul Kader with the Human Rights Defenders Award at the University of Malta, in Valletta. The three, known as the El Hiblu 3, received this award for the bravery and solidarity they showed when facing the threat of a pushback to Libya in 2019.
We were devastated and angry at the Appeal Court’s decision on 22 January 2025. The Court rejected the appeal by the El Hiblu 3’s lawyers arguing that the matter of jurisdiction, among others, should be considered at trial. The case will now likely continue to jury trial, although it is yet unclear at what speed that will happen.
On 26-27 March 2022, we organised a Free the El Hiblu 3 conference in Valletta on the third anniversary of the arrival of the El Hiblu tanker in Malta. More than 80 participants came together from local and transnational organisations.
Published in 2022, ’Free the El Hiblu 3’ is an edited collection that documents the trial against Abdalla, Amara, and Kader. It is the first book to bring together testimony and analysis from the El Hiblu 3 themselves, alongside their lawyers, fellow travellers, members of the Coalition and the Freedom Commission, and other allies.