https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/WhatsApp-Video-2023-10-28-at-07.20.12.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\nJien nista’ nifhem minn xiex g\u0127addej. Meta jien kont \u0121ejt mhadded, kelli noqg\u0127od nitkarrab mal-Pulizija biex dawn jag\u0127tu lili u lil familti xi forma ta’ sigurt\u00e0. \u010aedew biss dakinhar li xi persuni anonimi g\u0127amlu tabirru\u0127om li kienu qed i\u010bemplu mill-mobile<\/em> tieg\u0127i u li kienu qed i\u010bemplulhom ripetutament f’nofs ta’ lejl biex imorru j\u0127abbtuli l-bieb tad-dar. It-tfal tieg\u0127i kienu tqajjmu f’nofs ta’ lejl g\u0127ax kienu \u0121ew il-pulizija fit-triq dejqa tag\u0127na biex jag\u0127mlu tfittxija ta\u0127t is-sodod tag\u0127hom. Il-Pulizija \u0121ew biss biex je\u0127ilsu u g\u0127aliex kienu qed ji\u0121u ffittati.<\/p>\nLil Robert Aquilina kienu taw\u0127 \u010berta sigurt\u00e0 fl-istess \u017cmien li kienu tawha lili. U din ne\u0127\u0127ewha fl-istess \u017cmien li ne\u0127\u0127ew is-sigurt\u00e0 tieg\u0127i. Peress li t-theddid kien naqas, m’g\u0127idt xejn g\u0127ax stajt inkampa wa\u0127di. I\u017cda g\u0127al Robert Aquilina, l-affarijiet bdew jiggravaw. Dan lili ma jiskantanix. Tul dawn l-a\u0127\u0127ar sentejn, Robert Aquilina kien \u017cied id-do\u017ca tal-kritika u wettaq \u0127afna aktar minn dak li hu mistenni minnu b\u0127ala attivist tas-so\u010bjet\u00e0 \u010bivili li ma jit\u0127allasx g\u0127all-attivi\u017cmu tieg\u0127u.<\/p>\n
Il-perikli u t-theddid li kiteb dwarhom lill-Pulizija huma reali. Jista’ jag\u0127ti l-ka\u017c li min idde\u010bieda li m’g\u0127andha tittie\u0127ed ebda azzjoni dwar dan it-theddid irid li ssir \u0127sara fi\u017cika lil Robert Aquilina u lil membri tal-familja tieg\u0127u – u jista’ jkun ukoll li dan m’huwiex il-ka\u017c.\u00a0 I\u017cda li hu \u010bert hu li lil Robert Aquilina jridu jbe\u017c\u017cg\u0127uh. Jittamaw li l-bi\u017ca’ u l-i\u017colament ser i\u0121ieg\u0127luh jiskot.<\/p>\n
Dawn jidher li nsew li g\u0127ad hawn persuni b’rashom iebsa li huma determinati li, akkost ta’ kollox, jag\u0127mlu dak li hu sewwa, jkunu x’ikunu l-konsegwenzi.<\/p>\n
A\u0127na nistg\u0127u ukoll nag\u0127mlu l-parti tag\u0127na biex nag\u0127tu appo\u0121\u0121 s\u0127i\u0127 lil Robert Aquilina u biex nassigurawh li m’huwiex wa\u0127du.<\/p>\n
Dan li \u0121ej huwa t-test bl-Ingli\u017c tal-ittra li dalg\u0127odu Robert Aquilina bg\u0127at lill-Pulizija permezz tal-avukat tieg\u0127u Therese Comodini Cachia:<\/p>\n
\nDear Commissioner Gafa,<\/em><\/p>\nI am instructed by Dr Robert Aquilina to once again call upon you to provide him and his family members with sufficient protection to secure his ability to participate in public engagement in fulfilment of his right to freedom of expression without fear, harassment, or threats. Despite several specific indications made to the police of the threatening environment he faces, his requests for protection have continued to be rejected.<\/em><\/p>\nThe obligations of the state reflected in the caselaw of the European Court of Human Rights and several Recommendations and Resolutions of the Council of Europe particularly Recommendation CM\/REC(2016)4, have already been brought to your attention in my letter dated 25 April 2023. The police are also responsible in providing for the safety and protection of those who participate in public debate and to ensure that they are able to do so without fear.<\/em><\/p>\nSince at least April 2023, Dr Aqulina has himself brought information to the attention of the police which indicates the nature of the risk that threatens his safety and that of his family. Others such as representatives of Pen Malta, with the support of Pen International, also voiced their concerns on the matter during meetings held with the police.<\/em><\/p>\nMore specifically, the police were informed by him of signs of an attempted entry into his family home, of evidence witnessed by two witnesses of him being followed by person\/s close to the network of politicians of whom he is critical in his activism, and of a \u2018message\u2019 that a person of Libyan nationality sought to get to him.<\/em><\/p>\nForensic officers have confirmed that the marks found on the door to his family home are compatible with an attempt to forcefully enter his home. It is of public knowledge and easily ascertainable to the police that the person\/s who were noticed following or surveilling Dr Aquilina are closely connected with a political network whom Dr Aquilina has publicly denounced as abusers of political power.<\/em><\/p>\nDr Aquilina has also brought to the attention of the police that a person of Libyan nationality had sought to send a message to him on the instructions of a Maltese businessman whom Dr Aquilina had named as being close to yourself. As far as Dr Aquilina is aware, the instructions for him to be spoken to came from the businessman at a time when Dr Aquilina was publicly questioning the correctness of having a police commissioner being close to a businessman and attending social events which were also attended by politicians who are persons of interest to the police.<\/em><\/p>\nThe risks to him are no longer only from those who are instigated by disparaging and divisive public rhetoric uttered by politicians, such as that attack made by Prime Minister Robert Abela in parliament on the 23rd October 2023. This public rhetoric has already led to private persons taking it upon themselves to threaten Dr Aquilina, including to obtain information on his family members. For example, a judgment finding one such person guilty of threatening Dr Aquilina involved evidence showing the perpetrator gathered information about Dr Aquilina and his family, including their whereabouts, by following them on various occasions in churches. But the risks now appear to be of a more serious nature.<\/em><\/p>\nIt is\u00a0 of concern that the police has failed to identify and act upon this risk without having to be prodded to act. As it is of great concern that despite one police department being aware of evidence compatible to an attempted forced entry into Dr Aquilina\u2019s home, the other department whose only function is to assess risk was not made aware of this evidence for at least five months. Furthermore, it is of serious concern that though the police have known for the last five months of evidence compatible with attempted forced entry to his home, they failed to inform him of this even when he repeatedly asked for this in writing. \u00a0That Dr Aquilina has to inform you himself of such real threats and that these are then dismissed as they have been since his request last April, is an aggravation amounting to a failure by the police in fulfilling their obligation to provide adequate protection.<\/em><\/p>\nThese real and actual threats of a likely attempted forced entry into his home, surveillance by person\/s with security training, and instructions to harrass him given by persons close to the Commissioner, cannot but be considered real and sufficient for him and his family to receive protection.<\/em><\/p>\nConsequently, you are once again being called upon to fulfil your obligations towards the implementation of the state\u2019s obligation to ensure participation in public debate can take place in a safe and enabling environment, without fear, threats or harassment, and provide Dr Aquilina and his family with effective protection.<\/em><\/p>\nAvv Therese Comodini Cachia<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Il-president ta’ Repubblika llum kellu g\u0127al darb’o\u0127ra jer\u0121a’ jag\u0127mel talba biex jing\u0127ata protezzjoni mill-Pulizija min\u0127abba theddid li qed jir\u010bievi. G\u0127al \u017cmien qasir, il-Pulizija kienu pprovdewh b’g\u0127assa bil-lejl biswit id-dar tieg\u0127u. U ftit wara din l-g\u0127assa tne\u0127\u0127iet. Din l-g\u0127assa ma tne\u0127\u0127ietx g\u0127ax it-theddid kien naqas. Tne\u0127\u0127iet u g\u0127adu sal-lum ming\u0127ajr ebda protezzjoni minkejja li qed isegwu […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[54],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119545\/"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post\/"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1\/"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/?post=119545"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119545\/revisions\/"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119548,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119545\/revisions\/119548\/"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119365\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/?parent=119545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/?post=119545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/manueldelia.com\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/?post=119545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}