The Institute of Maltese Journalists together with the Malta Sports Journalists Association expressed their approval of the judgement handed out by the Malta Law Courts when they condemned a person to a six month suspended jail sentence after he was found guilty of attacking a journalist.

With this ruling, Magistrate Joe Mifsud is sending out a clear message that there is definitely no condoning of violence especially violence towards journalists whose job is to report anything that is of public interest even though sometimes this is not appreciated by certain people.

Both the IĠM as well as the GħĠS have always insisted and will continue to do so that freedom of expression is a right we have to defend and take the opportunity to insist that harsher penalties are to be handed out to all individuals that resort to violence, vandalism or intimidation towards journalists.