Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1533641
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 26 MARCH 2025 2 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt THE Aditus Foundation has voiced grave concern over the Prime Minister's statements re- garding human rights, saying that he is "more interested in pleasing his fascist colleagues" in the EU. In a statement, the founda- tion, which advocates for hu- man rights said that it is very worried and embarrassed that Malta, which will soon chair the Council of Europe, is ac- tively opting for populism, ex- clusion and obliviousness. The foundation was reacting to Prime Minister Robert Ab- ela's statements on Monday when he made the case for re- forming the European Conven- tion of Human Rights, insisting that "loopholes" and a "restric- tive interpretation" of the con- vention merit such a reform. The foundation took issue with Abela's "simplistic and selfish" perspective regarding migration, referencing Abe- la's support of far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melo- ni, whose government is fight- ing a legal battle to relocate mi- grants to Albania. "The Prime Minister needs to revise his law notes," the NGO jabbed, reminding him that, "all persons are born equal in dignity and in rights," and that nothing is required from a per- son to merit human rights. The foundation pointed to re- cent European Court of Human Rights rulings that show how the Maltese judicial system has repeatedly failed basic tests of human rights protection. "He will read how Malta's treatment of extremely vulner- able people, at times children, is inhuman and degrading. He will also be reminded that some people need protection from their own governments not because our idea is 'safe- ty' is wrong, but because they are the victims of cruel or col- lapsed governments through no fault of their own." The Aditus Foundation said it hoped Malta's leadership of the Council of Europe would serve as a light in dark times, en- couraging the state to address crumbling democracies by sup- porting stronger voices for civil society. "We remain hopeful that the Prime Minister's words remain utterances devoid of value and consequence." The NGO called on Malta to use its upcoming position as leader of the Council of Europe to strengthen the respect of the European Convention of Hu- man Rights, "instead of killing it to suit populistic and very dangerous agenda." Abela accused of being 'interested in pleasing his fascist colleagues' and disregarding human rights Prime Minister Robert Abela (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) A decision on a planning permit request for a block of flats in Qaw- ra has been postponed in the wake of archaeological findings. The Planning Authority has re- quested its case officer to re-con- sult with the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) and update a report that had recom- mended approval. The site is currently undergoing a major archaeological investi- gation following the discovery of Roman tombs. The application was thus re- moved from the Planning Com- mission's agenda on 7 April, pending the completion of the investigation. The SCH has already confirmed the discovery of a "classical peri- od quarry and late classical burial chamber" during an ongoing ar- chaeological evaluation of the site in Qawra, along Triq il-Fugass. "In view of the archaeological discoveries on site, the applica- tion has been withdrawn from the agenda… and the case officer has been requested to re-consult the SCH on the matter and update the DPA report," a Planning Authori- ty spokesperson told MaltaToday. The site is located near Salina National Park, which has been earmarked for the development of a new apartment block. According to the SCH, the inves- tigation is ongoing "to identify the full extent of the archaeological features present." The heritage authority has also confirmed that current works on the site involv- ing "the removal of soil deposits down to bedrock" is part of the archaeological evaluation, which is being carried out under the constant supervision of qualified archaeologists. The Planning Authority is cur- rently assessing an application to demolish an existing dwelling and dilapidated structures, excavate the site, and construct 59 garages, a shop, and 47 residential units on the same site where the tomb and quarry were discovered. The development is being proposed by ACMUS Group, a company owned by Adrian Muscat and Tancred Mifsud. In a report drafted in February, the Planning Authority's case of- ficer had recommended the pro- ject for approval, and a decision had been scheduled for 7 April. However, the report made no mention of the archaeological remains in the area, only recom- mending that an archaeological investigation be conducted before construction begins. This would have led to a situation where a planning commitment was made before the archaeolog- ical investigation was completed – an investigation that was bound to influence the project's design and feasibility. In a report issued in Septem- ber 2024, before the start of the archaeological investigation, the SCH had already referred to the recorded presence of a classi- cal-period catacomb directly adja- cent to the site footprint, stressing that an archaeological investiga- tion was necessary before devel- opment could proceed. Qawra: Decision on flats above Roman tombs postponed Case officer asked to revise his report recommending approval of apartment block after re-consulting Superintendence for Cultural Heritage A photo of the burial chamber entrance uploaded on Reddit