21 Safi inmates arraigned, cable-tied, and charged with rioting
Twenty-one migrants from the Safi detention centre, all in identical orange t-shirts and cable-tied in pairs, appeared in court yesterday to face charges relating to a riot on Monday.
The riot is the second to have taken place at the detention centre in less than a fortnight. Only last week, a violent riot took place at the Ħal Far open centre that resulted in five cars being burnt, staff members pelted and offices ransacked.
During Monday’s riot, the migrants are understood to have pelted detention centre staff at the end of an otherwise peaceful protest.
Just like they did during previous protests over the past month, the migrants were demanding their freedom. However, at one point, a small group reportedly got aggressive and riot police moved in to apprehend them. No injuries were reported.
Migrants held in detention pending identification and the initial processing of their asylum applications, have been protesting over the length of time taken by the authorities to release them. They claim their rights are being breached.
The men from Sudan, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria and Somalia were charged with causing voluntary damage, participating in an unlawful assembly, disobeying police orders and breaching the peace.
The accused are aged between 18 and 38, with the majority in their twenties. They denied committing the offences.
Bail was not requested and the men were remanded in custody. The court explained to the men that they would be detained in prison until the case is assigned to a magistrate.
The sitting risked descending into chaos when some of the migrants began loudly protesting their innocence before they were led out of the courtroom by police officers.
Inspector Roderick Attard prosecuted.
Lawyer Noel Bartolo was legal aid counsel to the accused.