Amnesty seeks no charges for 3 migrants in 2019 ship revolt

By KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — An Amnesty International delegation is in Malta this week. They’re calling for charges to be dropped against three rescued migrants accused of commandeering a merchant ship in 2019 and forcing it to go to Europe rather than back to Libya. The Amnesty delegation plans to attend a Feb. 3 hearing of the migrants, who are accused of unlawfully seizing control of the ship called the El Hiblu 1. Unlawfully seizing control of ship can be considered a terrorist activity under Maltese law and is punishable by anything between seven and 30 years in prison. The three were among some 108 migrants who were rescued at sea by the Turkish oil tanker in late March 2019.