First ever international prosecution for ‘conversion practices’ finds Maltese Christian NOT GUILTY
4 March 2026 Issued by: Christian ConcernToday, after more than three years of legal uncertainty, Maltese Christian, Matthew Grech, has been found not guilty of allegedly ‘advertising conversion practices’ in a case believed to be an international first of its kind.
The outcome will have international ramifications and has been described by Mr Grech outside of the Magistrates Court, Valletta, Malta, this morning as a ‘win for truth and freedom.’
Two journalists, also prosecuted as part of the case, have also been found not guilty by magistrate, Monica Vella, in a further win for freedom of the press.
If found guilty, Mr Grech could have faced five months in prison.
In February 2025, Grech attended his 17th court hearing to give evidence in a case that has drawn international attention and raised serious concerns about the freedom of speech, Christianity, and press in Malta.
What happens in Malta on these issues is of international significance as Malta became the first country in the European Union to ban what LGBT lobbies describe as ‘conversion therapy’ in 2016.
A ripple effect has followed with other nations, such as the UK and Australia, using the original Maltese legislation as a blueprint for similar bans.
Matthew, who has been supported by Dr. Jeanise Dalli and lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre, is an ex-gay man and Christian church worker, who is being prosecuted under Malta’s Affirmation of Sexual Orientation, Gender and Gender Expression Act for allegedly “advertising conversion practices.”
The charges stemmed from a 2022 interview on PMnews Malta, a free-speech media platform, where Grech shared his personal testimony of becoming a born-again Christian and voluntarily leaving behind a homosexual lifestyle.
Matthew’s legal team have argued that the charges against him violate his fundamental rights under Article 41 of the Constitution of Malta and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. They maintain that Grech’s interview was a personal expression of faith, not an advertisement for therapy.
During the interview, Grech spoke openly about his faith journey and personal transformation, but at no point did he promote or offer therapy.
The presenters, who also faced prosecution, asked Grech about his views on so-called “conversion therapy,” which is banned in Malta.
Grech responded by sharing his own experience and referencing scientific perspectives on how addressing trauma through talking therapy can sometimes reduce same-sex attraction and gender confusion.
Mr Grech spoke about how he does not agree with the term ‘conversion therapy’ and said that the deeper he went into his Christian faith and exploring the Bible, the more: “I understood that in the Bible, homosexuality is not an identity as we make it nowadays. And neither is it a feeling, but a practice. This means that no matter what sexual feelings a man or a woman is experiencing, if they have sexual relations with a person of the same sex, they commit the homosexual act in God’s eyes, and that is a sin. Just like every other sin, one can repent from it and ask God for forgiveness and ask Him for strength to overcome… I’m talking here from a Christian perspective…”
Because Grech was introduced as a representative of the International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC), he now faced the possibility of a five-month prison sentence.
EU official made police report
It was revealed during proceedings, and reported by Fox News, that Silvan Agius, a senior EU equality official and LGBTQI+ activist, played a central role in initiating legal proceedings against Matthew by filing a police report accusing him of unlawfully advertising “conversion practices.”
Agius, who serves in the cabinet of EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and was instrumental in Malta’s 2016 ban on conversion therapy, filed the complaint alongside activists Cynthia Chircop and Christian Attard.
It appears Matthew has been a marked man in Malta ever since he made headlines in 2018 for telling his story as a contestant on X Factor Malta, Agius — whose current responsibilities as cabinet expert under Dalli include “inclusion, equality and non-discrimination” — called Grech’s story “problematic.”
The evidence has revealed that Matthew has been aggressively targeted by members of the Malta Gay Rights Movement, who believe that Christian beliefs on marriage and human identity, and any debate surrounding LGBT lifestyles, should be treated as a criminal offence.
‘Freedom has won’
Following the ruling, Matthew said, and also LIVE on Facebook:
“Today, I thank God that justice has prevailed.
From the very beginning, I have been clear that I committed no crime. I was never guilty of anything except speaking openly about my own life, about my spiritual journey to becoming a Christian, and the profound difference and freedom that my faith has made in every aspect of who I am.
For three long years, my life has been turned completely upside down, not for harming anyone, not for inciting hatred, not for breaking the law, but for sharing my personal testimony of hope and renewal on a podcast.
This prosecution should never have been brought. I believe it was politically motivated and entirely without merit. It has exposed the danger of loosely worded criminal laws that can be stretched and applied at will. When laws are unclear, they become tools and tools in the wrong hands can become weapons.
Over these past three years, the process itself became the punishment. I endured emotional strain, reputational damage, financial cost, and constant uncertainty. No one should have to live under the weight of criminal charges simply for exercising their right to free speech.
Today’s decision is not just a personal vindication it is a reaffirmation of a fundamental principle: speaking about one’s lived experience, including the transforming power of Christ, is not a crime. That this should happen in Malta with the support of the wider European political network should be a warning to the world.
Throughout this ordeal, my constitutional rights were compromised, including my right to a fair and efficient trial. Accountability matters. No civilised authority in the world should have the power to censor and make suffer its citizens as has happened to me simply for expressing the Christian faith and the morality that flows from it.
But today is not about bitterness and I hold no bitterness. It is about freedom.
My hope and my prayer is that no one else, in Malta or anywhere in the world, will have to endure what I have experienced simply for speaking openly about their life and their faith. This acquittal sends a clear message: free speech matters. The right to self-determination matters. And the law must never be weaponised to silence lawful Christian testimony.
I stand here today grateful, grateful to my legal team, grateful to those who supported me, and above all grateful to God, whose transforming grace is the very story I was prosecuted for telling.
Truth does not become illegal because, to some it is unpopular.
Today, freedom has won.”
Dr Mike Davidson, IFTCC Chairman, said: “Dr Mike Davidson, Chairman of the IFTCC, said:
“We are relieved that the Court has provided clarity in this case. At its heart was a simple but vital principle — that individuals must be free to speak about their own lived experience without fear of criminal sanction. We remain committed to upholding professional standards, lawful dialogue, and careful engagement on matters that are often deeply personal and complex.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which has advised on and supported Matthew’s case, commented:
“Today’s not‑guilty verdict is a clear and decisive victory, not only for Matthew, but for Christian freedom and free speech across the world. After years of pressure, the attempt to criminalise him has collapsed because the prosecution could never coherently define what ‘conversion therapy’ even means. It is an undefined, politically loaded term with no grounding in fact, and it should never have been used to target a young man simply for sharing his Christian testimony.
“This case has exposed how activists have sought to weaponise the law to silence people like Matthew who express mainstream Christian beliefs about sexuality, marriage, and identity. There was never any credible evidence justifying the charges brought against him, only an aggressive campaign to shut down viewpoints that diverge from a prevailing ideology.”
“Matthew should never have been dragged through the criminal courts for openly describing his journey to faith, a personal, voluntary decision to follow Christ. Even the broadcasters who challenged him robustly during the interview were prosecuted, which showed just how absurd and dangerous this case had become.”
“Today’s acquittal sends an unmistakable message: attempts to criminalise Christian teaching and testimony will not stand. This is a win for Malta, for Europe, and for all who care about free speech and freedom of religion worldwide.”
