Twenty Facebook users plead guilty to hate speech

Twenty people admitted to hate speech charges in court on Friday after they posted inflammatory comments on Facebook.  The commenters were arraigned before Magistrate Ian Farrugia on Friday to answer to charges of hate speech after they posted comments under a video depicting a man who had been assaulted by a gang of foreign nationals.  The victim, 69-year-old pensioner Emmanuel Zammit, was last year stopped by three men who asked him for a cigarette. After replying that he did not smoke, he was held down, beaten and robbed, with the thieves making off with his phone and wallet, which only contained €40.  Zammit was later helped by bystanders who found him at the Porte des Bombes bus stop with a bruised and bloodied face, walking in a daze.  Police officers on patrol later arrested four individuals who matched the description of Zammit’s attackers, after receiving reports of a string of robberies in the area. A video featuring Zammit just minutes later was then uploaded to Facebook. It stated that Zammit had been attacked by foreign nationals and prompted some heated comments on the social media platform.  Inspectors John Spiteri and Kylie Borg brought charges against Joseph...