A group of 29 authors are criticising the country's "institutionalised curbing of free expression" as a 21-year-old student faces a potential prison term for publishing a graphic short story in his newspaper.
The authors insisted "antiquated laws" that could in some way hinder freedom of expression must be amended and any prosecution by the police related to such laws must be stopped, with immediate effect.
"In European Malta of the 21st century, expression should be free. Acts of censorship cast serious doubts on the respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms safeguarded by the Constitution," they said.
The authors said they could not accept that "some power" took it upon itself to filter and decide what could and could not be read.
Underlining the important roles played by writers in all societies, they called for issues of freedom of expression and the status of artists to be put at the forefront of the national agenda.
"We do not object to a classification system intended as a guide for the people about levels of adult content in the different arts. But we object with all possible might to the censorship that insults the intelligence and the freedom of the Maltese people."
The authors signing the statement include some prominent names. They are: John Aquilina, Clare Azzopardi, Mario Azzopardi, Simon Bartolo, Norbert Bugeja, Mark Camilleri, Charles Casha, Antoine Cassar, Charles Coleiro, Noel Fabri, Lino Farrugia, Charles Flores, Francis Galea, Sergio Grech, Maria Grech Ganado, Adrian Grima, Simone Inguanez, Ġorġ Peresso, Ray Mahoney, Ġorġ Mallia, Albert Marshall, Immanuel Mifsud, Kevin Saliba, Andrew Sciberras, Karl Schembri, Loranne Vella, Vince Vella and Trevor Zahra.
Also signing the statement was Alex Vella Gera, the 36-year-old author of the controversial story.
Realtà, the newspaper in which the story was published, was banned from the University by the rector, who filed the police report.
The incident followed a series of other actions of censorship last year, including the banning of the play Stitching.