Writing for impact
Two reports and two essays
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Tessa Visser, 1138081 Deborah Yapp
5/4/2024
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Re_2K2 Collegejaar 2023/2024, blok 3
(Report 1) Caught in limbo: the dubious case of the El Hiblu 3
,Introduction
An enormous amount of migrants and refugees are trapped in the unsafe country of Libya in
an endless loop of barbarity with barely a hope of finding safety or even a way out. Lamin,
Abdul and Abdalla are an example of these type of refugees. They fled from Libya to Europe,
hoping to build a new life and a future there. Instead, they were arrested under suspicion
and hijacking a ship, which has eventually led to a lengthy, unfair trial. Hence, this report
which is aimed at outlining how these three teenagers were erroneously accused and
arrested1.
The refugees experiences on the El Hiblu 1
To start with, one day Lamin’s boss at the time told Lamin that he could help Lamin to flee Libya to
start a better life across the Mediterranean. Lamin agreed, sometime later he set off on a dinghy.
Unfortunately, the boat was unseaworthy and quickly deflated. Lamin was therefore forced to
transfer onto another ship called the El Hiblu 1. The hundreds of migrants who were ‘rescued’, were
told by the captain of the El Hiblu 1 that an another ship would take them to Europe that night.
Instead, the rescue ships never came and for unclear reasons, the ship returned back to Libya. The
migrants panicked when they found out. Lamin, Abdul and Abdalla were the only ones who could
speak English, so everyone expected them to beg the captain to return to Italy. Lamin went to the
captain with two other peers, called Abdul and Abdalla. The captain shared with the teenagers that
he did not have enough fuel to reach Italy, so he would take the migrants to Malta instead. They felt
relieved.
The arrest and legal challenges
After a journey of about two hundred miles, the ship approached Malta. The captain informed, via
radio, to the Maltese authorities that he was not in control of his ship. There were rumors that
pirates has hijacked the ship. Then the ship eventually arrived and at that moment there was a
crowd of TV and camera crews gathered, even the military. Provisional terrorism charges were made
against the three teenagers. From that moment on, Lamin, Abdul and Abdalla were called the El
1
BBC, 2021
, Hiblu Three. The other migrants and the captain were, in fact, free to go. Lamin has spent eight
months in prison, before he was released on bail.
Legal process
Despite being a fundamental human right, the legal process concerning the three teenagers accused
of terrorism has been protracted, with no resolution in sight. As of now, the teenagers have not been
formally charged, as authorities are still in the process of collecting evidence. Moreover, many of the
migrants involved have not been approached to provide testimony, including the accused teenagers
who have not been given the opportunity to present their version of events. Following an official
complaint from the defendants' lawyer, the prosecution has begun contacting witnesses. However,
due to the prolonged nature of the proceedings, many migrants have moved on and can no longer
be relied upon to offer testimony, further complicating the legal process.
The fellows had yet to be formally
indicted as the authorities were in
the process of gathering
confirmation.
In the days following the rescue,
prosecutors hurried to assemble
evidence. The lawsuit consisted of a
false
