The Malta Labour Party (MLP) has asked The Times to apologize for a caricature published on Wednesday, stating that its only aim was to ridicule the party’s leader, Dr Alfred Sant. While recognizing caricatures as important for journalistic expression, the MLP deemed the cartoon as one which “lowers respect towards a person in the public eye.”
 The caricature, drawn by Maurice Tanti Burlo depicts Dr. Alfred Sant as “Alfossa pretender to the throne of Poohland”.
The MLP claimed that this was an attempt to assimilate Dr. Sant’s leadership to a cesspool.
The party added that it is "a shame that the editor and The Times' management felt it had to publish this caricature without finding anything offensive in its disrespectful and insolent language.”
The MLP also asked The Times to apologize for the caricature.
In turn, the Journalists' Committee objected to the party’s demand.
The Committee referred to the fundamental right of freedom of expression as declared in the European Convention of Human Rights, as well as its endorsement in the crucial decision by the European Court of Human rights in Handyside v UK 1976, in which it was established that in a democratic society, freedom of expression includes the right to "offend, shock and disturb the State or any other sector of the population".
Commenting about the issue, Chairman of the Committee Karl Schembri said "In a mature democracy, it is essential that this right is safeguarded even when this means it could offend individuals and institutions, particularly when this can offend public figures. Such are the requirements of a democratic, mature, pluralist and tolerant society."
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