Magistrate Carol Peralta showed clemency with a Syrian national after hearing that the man forged his Maltese residence permit in order not to return to the atrocities in his country.

Inspector Mario Haber told the court that 40-year-old Alied Thamer of Homs, Syria has been residing in Malta for the past 10 years. He was issued with a residence permit for the length of his stay. However on 26 July, Thamer was apprehended by the police and his residence permit was found to have been tampered with.

Defence lawyer Mariella Said held the Syrian had a clean police record and had never broken the law in Malta. Dr Said explained that when the term of the residence permit expired Thamer was scared to return to Homs, given the atrocities and killings that were happening there. The accused decided that rather than risk his life in Syria he'd rather risk forging his residence permit.

Magistrate Peralta said the court understood the reason which pushed Thamer to commit the offence. "I do not need to imagine what went through your mind because I've witnessed it in person", the magistrate told the accused. "However the law has been broken and you have to answer for your actions."

Taking into consideration the accused's clean conduct, his responsible behaviour during his 10 year stay in Malta and the reason for which he forged his documents, the court sentenced Thamer to a 12-month jail term suspended for two years.