A group of 135 doctors in Malta have signed a legal protest calling for a review of the country's blanket ban on abortion after a hospital refused to terminate the pregnancy of an American experiencing potentially life-threatening complications. The so-called "judicial protest" -- which often leads to a court case -- comes after tourist Andrea Prudente was flown out of the country to receive emergency care in a case that made headlines around the world. "We expect the government and MPs to start discussing this issue as soon as possible, because it is a very important issue that is affecting women’s lives in Malta," Dr. Nathalie Psaila, a specialist in family medicine says, whilst Dr. Lara Dimitrijevic, a human rights and family lawyer, says that decriminalisation to "at least to put ourselves in line with human rights principles". Malta has one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the world with abortion being illegal in all cases, and is the only country in the European Union to prohibit abortion entirely. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES