The chairman and secretary of the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IMJ) yesterday distanced themselves from an article which carried their comments about the violent outburst of hunters in a demonstration last year.

In a reply to a libel suit filed by the president and secretary of the Federation of Bird Hunters, Trappers and Conservationists (FKNK), Joseph Buttigieg and Lino Farrugia, IMJ chairman Malcolm J. Naudi and secretary Joseph Vella said they did not publish or write the article and were therefore not liable.

The article was published in The Times three days after journalists and photographers were attacked by hunters in Valletta when a protest got out of hand and the hunters turned on the media when finding Parliament square cordoned off. The article carried the comments of the institute condemning the attacks.

In replying to the accusation of libel, Mr Vella and Mr Naudi said that their comments were fair and any libel suits should be directed at whoever it was that wrote and published the story.

They added that any actions taken by the FKNK were made to try and intimidate Maltese journalists from expressing themselves and from carrying out what was their right.

In a statement issued later in the evening, the IGM said no libel suit would intimidate them. They would keep defending journalists' rights and would be fighting the suit.

The institute also pointed out that they only became aware of the proceedings against them last Tuesday.