Prisoners' support group laments lack of amnesty

The prisoners' support group Mid-Dlam ghad- Dawl (MDD) has expressed disappointment on behalf of prisoners, former prisoners and their families at the government's failure to grant an amnesty on the occasion of the canonisation of St Gorg Preca.

It said that despite all the appeals by private citizens, public personalities, MPs from both sides of the House and also by the Bishops of Malta and Gozo, the government chose to ignore everyone and refused to mark this special event with a gesture of mercy towards prisoners. MDD said this harsh attitude did not reflect well on the sentiments of the leaders of this Christian country. It also noted that the government has not granted an amnesty to prisoners since 2000 even though a number of important and significant events had occurred since then.

Neighbouring countries, including all European ones, had given some kind of amnesty to their prisoners at one time or another.

No doubt, MDD added, whoever is responsible for this attitude had a very limited idea of what an amnesty meant and what function it had in the practice of penal justice.