Today’s statement by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisation confirms his intention to ban Repubblika.

Now, he publishes part of his first letter to us, ostensibly meaning to throw light on his true intentions.

We remind the Commissioner that we had already published this letter in full 12 days ago. Unlike the Commissioner’s belated and half hearted transparency of today, when we published his letter, we also included the attachments the Commissioner appended as his evidence that we are a political party and therefore ineligible to be listed as an NGO: newspaper articles expressing opinions that are critical of the government and evidence that Repubblika made submissions to the Daphne CaruanaGalizia inquiry.

Clearly, the real import of the letter from Dr Abela Medici was that these expressions of opinion were objectionable, not some minor technical issues with the wording of a Statute that he had already cleared. His letter expressly condemns us for having political opinions and expressly declares having political opinions, which he, and few others, believes is incompatible with our status as an NGO.

Commissioner Anthony Abela Medici today said that the existence of Repubblika is not incumbent on him allowing it to be listed as an NGO in terms of law. However, Dr Abela Medici is conveniently ignoring the fact that according to the law which he administers, every voluntary organisation with a public purpose is under a mandatory obligation to enlist in his Register.

We are aware that the Commissioner is contacting individuals he believes represent unlisted organisations threatening them with consequences unless they submit themselves to him. In fact, some court proceedings have already commenced.

Consequently, should we be struck off the registry of NGOs, in spite of the residual existence Abela Medici makes so much of, Repubblika’s activities would become illegal. If any private individual were to exercise their right of free association and expression by donating funds to Repubblika in response to a call for funding, Repubblika officials would be liable to serve time in prison for accepting these funds. Repubblika would also become ineligible for funding under EU civil society programmes for which it is presently eligible.

This is the Viktor Orbán method of preventing civil society organisations that are critical of his government from legally accepting funding. This has been found by European courts to be an egregious violation of fundamental freedoms of association and speech. Robert Abela, through Commissioner Anthony Abela Medici, is trampling on civil society’s right to exist and to function in a democracy in the same way.

Having said that, we again give notice to Commissioner Abela Medici that should he delist us, we will remain active, we will continue to raise funds for our activities, we will disobey illegal orders and we will choose prison over submission to this illegal bullying and intimidation.

This is our obligation in a society that is really ruled by law and not by diktat.

It seems that Abela Medici needs reminding, again, that upon our foundation in January 2019, he reviewed and approved our Statute and confirmed it was in conformity with the law. If he has changed his interpretation of the law he should say so. We reiterate that we stand absolutely, completely and unambiguously in conformity with the law and that the Commissioner’s decision to delist us, or even the mere threat to do so, is unlawful and a breach of our fundamental rights.

We again reject Commissioner Abela Medici’s overture for meetings that would make us complicit in this outrage and demand that he withdraws his letter that wrongfully accuses us and unlawfully convicts us. If he does not do so, we will have to ask the appropriate legal forum to do so.