Anniversary of the public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Renata Rat

07 December 2020

No Comments

As the public inquiry marks its first anniversary, many have been reminded that learning lessons is uncomfortable

 

This article was originally published by the Daphne Foundation.

 

The Independent public inquiry into the Assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia began on 6 December 2019, after a two-year campaign by civil society, NGOs, European institutions, and Daphne’s family to overcome the Maltese government’s initial refusal.

 

In its first year, the public inquiry has made important, visible progress in its mission to investigate whether the Maltese state facilitated or failed to prevent Daphne’s assassination, to establish whether the state allowed an environment of impunity for serious crime to develop, and to determine whether the state has fulfilled and is fulfilling its positive obligation to protect individuals at risk, particularly in the case of journalists.

 

The public inquiry has made substantial progress despite limited cooperation from the Maltese government.

 

Witnesses representing government and state entities had to be summoned to testify and many withheld information relevant to the public inquiry’s mission. More worryingly, prime minister Robert Abela’s ongoing attempts to end the public inquiry’s mandate undermine its hard-won and essential independence.

 

It is only if the public inquiry completes its mission, as set out in its Terms of Reference, that lessons can be learnt from Daphne’s assassination, however uncomfortable this process may be for those who bear responsibility. And it is only then that the country can begin a process of real change that ensures nothing like this ever happens again, to Malta’s institutions and journalists.

 

For that process to begin, we call on Prime Minister Abela and persons in political office to respect the public inquiry’s autonomy and to commit to implementing the public inquiry report in full once it is concluded.

This statement is supported by:

  • Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
  • Article 19
  • European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
  • European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
  • IFEX
  • International Press Institute (IPI)
  • PEN America
  • PEN International
  • Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
  • Transparency International
  • Transparency International EU

Read news by categories:

Related news

Statement

ECPMF joins call for EU to prioritize rule of law

On Wednesday, ECPMF and 38 other media freedom organisations called on the European Commission to strengthen its fifth annual rule of law report.

READ MORE
Threat

Urgent action needed to protect journalists Ana Lalić Hegediš and Dinko Gruhonjić in Novi Sad

Over the past fifteen days, two journalists have been subjected to online death threats following their participation in the Rebedu Festival in Dubrovnik.

READ MORE
Statement

Poland: Regulator Fine against TVN appears to punish independent journalism

Poland’s politically controlled media regulator punishes private TV channel for a documentary on child abuse in the church

READ MORE
Statement

Serbia: escalating threats and attacks against journalists in Novi Sad

The escalation of threats and violence suffered by journalists in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, has reached an unprecedented level in the past fortnight.

READ MORE
Monitor

1,117 media freedom alerts in the past year – MFRR Monitoring Report 2023

The partners from the MFRR consortium today publish the latest edition of its Monitoring Report which documents press freedom violations from January to December 2023.

READ MORE
Press release

Flutura Kusari receives the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) is extremely proud to announce that Senior Legal Advisor Flutura Kusari has been awarded the prestigious Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

READ MORE