Heavy security measures as seven men charged with terrorism

Among other charges, the men stand accused of spreading extremist propaganda, training others how to operate firearms and explosives, attempting to recruit people to commit acts of terrorism, and attempting to travel in- and outside the EU to commit terrorist acts.

The men from Syria are aged between 21 and 27, and have all worked as plasterers, five are residing in Ħamrun, one in Pietà and one in Birkirkara.

Sunday’s court arraignments before duty magistrate Astrid May Grima followed a police operation and arrests in cooperation with Europol on Saturday morning.

A freezing order on all assets of the accused, requested by Attorney General lawyer Antoine Agius Bonnici, was upheld by the court.

Defence counsel José Herrera did not request for bail, but commented that “the charges have been trumped up and are exaggerated”.

AG lawyer Agius Bonnici said that investigations had taken months, and that police had seized a number of devices coming with a large volume of documents which needed to be analysed.