The prosecution has added a third, as yet undisclosed, charge against comedian Daniel Xuereb in the case instituted by Rover of Love’s Gordon Manche, Xuereb’s lawyers said in a statement Friday.

Public Interest Litigation Network (PILN) lawyers Michael Camilleri and Cedric Mifsud, today represented Xuereb in a criminal case after Manché filed a police report for something the comedian said during one of his comedy shows.

Xuereb was initially served with two charges: insulting Manché, and misusing electronic equipment to share those threats in relation to a video of his comedy sketch he posted on social media back in March, PILN said in a statement.

However, during today’s hearing, the prosecution announced that they will be adding a charge against the comedian, a charge which they have not yet revealed. The case has been deferred to 1 March 2024.

Just two weeks after Xuereb was criminally charged, the government tabled a bill in Parliament proposing changes to the law “to provide for the enhanced protection of artistic expression and in particular to provide for the avoidance of the misuse of the criminal justice system for the suppression of such form of expression”.

Freedom of Expression, the bill says, will be protected and artistic, satirical or comic expression “which does not include any credible or realistic threat to the personal liberty or security of the complainant or to his property” will not be hindered.

Yet, instead of dropping the charges against him, the prosecution has instead decided to add a third charge, PILN said.

The PILN is of the belief that the prosecution’s decision to add a charge against Xuereb, and the comedian’s criminal prosecution in the first place, has a chilling effect and is a threat to the right to freedom of expression.

The PILN is a network of pro-bono lawyers focused on cases of human rights violation and other matters of public interest, exploring national, supranational, and international legal mechanisms to ensure State and individual accountability, address abuses of power, and engage civil society and the legal community to advance social change. It is currently made up of twenty members covering a wide range of legal expertise with years of experience in human rights, media, environmental and planning, constitutional, commercial, and civil law