MaltaToday threatened by SLAPP action from Socar representative

MaltaToday is one several newspapers in Malta to have received a SLAPP threat from the Socar representative Turab Musayev.

The legal letters were sent to Times of Malta, MaltaToday, Malta Independent, Lovin Malta and The Shift News between May and June by Atkins Thomson lawyers on behalf of Musayev.

The Institute of Maltese Journalists condemned the SLAPP threat and requested an urgent meeting with the government to seek a solution on protection from SLAPP threats.

Musayev, Socar Trading’s Head of LNG trading, was named by Reuters as an owner of Cifidex, a company that was involved in a controversial Montenegro wind farm deal with Enemalta. His name was also cited in court testimonies regarding the public enquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, reporting of which should be protected from legal action.

“These threats are unacceptable in any self-respecting democracy and the IĠM requests an immediate and urgent meeting with the minister to see how democracy can be safeguarded. Government has a unique opportunity to support freedom of speech. SLAPP threats will not intimidate Maltese journalists from continuing to seek truth and justice on a number of corruption cases, the recent high-profile scandals in Malta and the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia,” the IGM said.

“For the first time Malta’s mediascape come together, united by the value of integrity and the right to freedom of expression, to fight any legal threats that aim to silence or intimidate it. Threatening media organisations with international lawsuits is not the way to engage with journalists or provide an explanation and will be actively fought with all our combined strength,” IGM president Sylvana Debono said.