The Labour Party is to take all the necessary measures for civil liberties in the country to be safeguarded.
Party leader Joseph Muscat said this morning during an interview with journalist Miriam Dalli that the authorities were threatening to throw a student in prison for publishing an opinion.
A graphic piece of fiction about sexual violence was published by 21-year-old editor of the leftist newspaper Ir-Realta Mark Camilleri a few months ago.
The newspaper was distributed at the University before being banned and reported to the police by Rector Juanito Camilleri and the editor is now to be arraigned on charges that carry a possible prison term.
The story Li Tkisser Sewwi, was by novelist Alex Vella Gera.
“This is anachronistic and God forbid that this student is thrown in prison,” Dr Muscat said adding that these students’ freedom of expression should be defended.
The Labour leader said that even if one did not agree with the students’ opinion, they should not be threatened with imprisonment for making this known.
“This is not acceptable.”
Dr Muscat was asked about a variety of other subjects including on the deficit, the water and electricity rates and the Enemalta contract.
He said that while around €15 million were spent by the government to protect employment, the difference in the deficit was of over €300 million. Where did the remaining money go?
The deficit, the Labour leader said, was going up and so was unemployment.
He said that the burden of the new water and electricity tariffs could be easily reduced by €15 million by only taking up a couple of proposals which had been made by the Labour Party.
Even though the electricity metre rental charge was only being minimally increased, this would be giving the government an additional €1 million. The government was also clearly introducing a drainage tax and although the €20 charge was this year being subsidised the concept of the tax had been introduced.
In spite of meetings with constituted bodies to be held this week, the government was already indicating that the new rates would not be changed.