22 migrants jailed for involvement in riot in Malta

A magistrate on Wednesday jailed 22 migrants for nine months and fined them 800 euros after finding them guilty of involvement in a violent riot at the Safi detention centre on Jan. 6 in Malta.

The chunk of the migrants came from Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Cameroon and Algeria. They were aged between 15 and 44.

The riot had broken out on Jan. 6 and escalated further during the night, requiring the intervention of scores of police officers, including the riot police.

The police said the migrants had attempted to break out of the gate, throwing stones at police and detention officers. Items in the sleeping quarters were damaged.