‘It looks like the Malta Labour Party is behaving like Vladimir Putin,’ remarked journalist John Sweeney on Twitter.

Sweeney said this in light of a billboard put up by the Labour Party in the streets of Malta. It features the face of blogger Manuel Delia. The Labour Party had subjected journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia to similar treatment in previous years. She was assassinated in 2017 amid a climate of hate fostered by the ruling Labour Party.

It looks like the anti-corruption and pro-Ukraine blogger Manuel Delia is Robert Abela’s new target.

TO MALTA FROM KYIV: Stop demonising @Manwel_Delia, an honest reporter and, with @carlobonini and I author of our book #MurderOnTheOrientExpress on the assassination of #DaphneCaruanaGalizia pic.twitter.com/5KLoYCepvP

— John Sweeney (@johnsweeneyroar) March 4, 2022

The billboard received international condemnation.

#Malta: RSF urges @PL_Malta to remove campaign billboards & videos depicting blogger @Manwel_Delia as an opposition "face of the past" and exposing him to threats. The murdered journalist & blogger #DaphneCaruanaGalizia was similarly targeted by the ruling party in 2013. pic.twitter.com/GBM4eHgQzX

— RSF (@RSF_inter) March 3, 2022