States are required to protect journalists and create a favourable environment for opinions to be expressed without fear – European Court of Human Rights

The Court reiterates its considerations on the positive obligations of the State in the area of freedom of expression … [These positive obligations entail that] States are required to create – while establishing an efficient system of protection of authors and journalists – a favourable environment for participation in public debate by all the persons concerned, enabling them to express their opinions and ideas without fear, even if these go counter to those held by official authorities or a large part of public opinion, even where these [opinions or ideas] are irritating or shocking [to authorities or public opinion].

– para 137 of the judgement in the case Dink vs Turkey, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights

The government of Malta, instead of meeting its obligations in this matter, heads off in the opposite direction, and puts people on the payroll, in the Office of the Prime Minister and elsewhere, whose official and unofficial job it is to routinely target, troll, harass and intimidate journalists who are critical of the government. Governing politicians also use their political party media – which include a television station, a radio station, a newspaper and a website, for the exact same purpose.

Meanwhile, those same politicians blow their trumpet about banning gay conversion therapy. What price banning gay conversion therapy when you have an entire behemoth machine which you use to harass journalists and others who criticise you?

Banning gay conversion therapy is easy. It doesn’t affect the government one bit and requires zero effort. Cultivating an atmosphere of free expression and living with criticism is a whole lot more difficult for those of a totalitarian bent, like the Malta Labour Party.

They ban gay conversion therapy but have a whole system in place for targetting and harassing journalists who get out of line.