They negotiated passage for 108 migrants to Malta on the El Hiblu 1, an oil tanker registered in Turkey and built in 2015.
[1] The El Hiblu 3 have been charged with terrorism by Maltese authorities, and the incident has received considerable international media coverage and criticism.
Amara had left his home aged 13 due to a family feud, and travelled through the Algerian desert to find unpaid work in Libya.
[4] On 27 March 2019, a deflating and sinking dinghy with migrants was spotted off the coast of Libya by a patrol aircraft of the Mission Eunavfor Med.
[5] Bringing migrants back to Libya is against the principle of Non-Refoulement because there is proof of human rights violations in the Libyan camps.
[4] A press briefing from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: "[...]the circumstances around the captain’s decision to finally steer the ship to Malta are disputed[...]".
[9][better source needed][8] After numerous denials, the El Hiblu 3 were granted bail in November 2019 after more than 7 months in prison.