Malta and the El Hiblu 3
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 5 August 2021
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is the curious story of how a child refugee ended up in Malta accused of the most serious crime - of being a terrorist. Lamin was 13 when he ran away from his home in Guinea in search of a better life. He had never even heard of Malta. But after attempting the perilous sea crossing to Europe, he and two other teenagers were accused of hijacking the ship, the El Hiblu, that rescued them and brought them to shore. If found guilty he and the young men could face life in prison. Two years on the case has still not been taken to trial and the three remain in limbo. For Assignment, the BBC’s Europe correspondent Jean Mackenzie travels to Malta to hear Lamin’s story, as she searches for answers about what happened on board the ship that day and why Malta is taking such a tough stance on these young migrants.
Producer Kate Vandy.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Five men have been arrested in Malta over the alleged hijacking by migrants of the ship that rescued them. |
| 0:09.5 | On the 28th of March 2019, Maltese soldiers stormed a ship as it entered its waters. |
| 0:16.3 | More than 100 migrants desperate to reach Europe, hijacked a ship off the coast of Libya. |
| 0:21.9 | As it docked three of the migrants, all teenagers, were led away in handcuffs, accused of terrorism. |
| 0:29.8 | A ship they allegedly hijacked after their... |
| 0:33.0 | One of them was a 15 year old child. |
| 0:35.6 | I'm not a terrorist, and I will never be a terrorist. |
| 0:40.0 | I'm not a terrorist and I will never be. I can never be a tourist. |
| 0:50.0 | This is assignment on the BBC World Service. I'm Jean Mackenzie, the BBC's Europe correspondent, |
| 0:56.4 | and for months I've been investigating what happened that day and how a child ended up accused of such a serious crime. |
| 1:05.0 | The story we've uncovered is very different to how it first seemed. Hello? |
| 1:23.0 | 1-9. |
| 1:25.0 | 1-9. |
| 1:27.0 | Yes, yes, yes, thank you. |
| 1:31.0 | Lameen is 17 by the time we meet as he checks in at the police station. |
| 1:36.9 | It's been more than two years since he was arrested and he's now out on bail. |
| 1:41.6 | This is the first time he's agreed to have his story recorded and because |
| 1:45.9 | he's still a minor we're using the name given to him by the court. |
| 1:50.1 | Every day I have to come to the police search of the sign. |
| 1:53.0 | The officer doesn't look up as she checks him off her list. |
| 1:57.0 | So one to nine is like my name. |
| 2:00.0 | No? |
... |
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