The 'Justice' banner at the memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia near the site of her assassination in Mosta, Malta. picture alliance / Hans Lucas | Martin Bertrand
Malta: Press freedom groups lament another year passing without full justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder
On the ninth anniversary of the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the undersigned international media freedom and journalist groups today lament that full justice for the car bomb assassination remains painfully elusive.
Our organisations, which have campaigned for accountability for nine years, stand in solidarity with Daphne’s family, friends, and colleagues, and pledge our unwavering commitment to the continued fight for justice.
A bomb planted in her car killed Caruana Galizia on October 16, 2017, shortly after she left her home. She was renowned for her uncompromising investigations into crime and corruption in Malta’s political and business worlds.
This year’s anniversary is particularly difficult. The September 2, 2026 acquittal of the powerful Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, who was cleared of masterminding the assassination, has left no one legally responsible for ordering the killing. Five men convicted of carrying out the murder or supplying the bomb are in prison, but Fenech’s acquittal means the case remains in a state of partial impunity.
The shock 8-1 not-guilty verdict —delivered after a high-profile, 55-day trial —has drawn widespread international scrutiny and left numerous questions unanswered.
In mid-September, police arrested and questioned three jurors, a reserve juror, and the husband of a juror, before releasing them on bail. Police said the investigation concerns the oath taken by jurors before the trial and alleged public comments made before proceedings began. The investigation continues.
Days later, on September 22, the Office of the Attorney General filed an 80-page appeal against the verdict, which will now be reviewed by a three-judge panel at the Court of Criminal Appeal. Our organisations will closely follow the appeal and hope that justice will be served.
Criminal accountability must be accompanied by action on the institutional failures identified by the 2021 public inquiry, which found that the state bore responsibility for creating a culture of impunity that enabled Daphne’s assassination. We call on the Maltese government to implement the inquiry’s recommendations with meaningful participation by journalists, civil society and Daphne’s family, and subject to independent scrutiny.
Our organisations have also been calling for a broad range of media reforms to address effective protection for journalists facing threats, comprehensive safeguards against abusive litigation, and an end to the harassment and vilification of journalists, including by public officials. Journalists investigating corruption and abuses of power must be able to work without intimidation or retaliation.
Today, representatives of some of our organisations will participate in demonstrations in Brussels to demand an end to impunity for the murder. This case is not over and the search for truth continues. Full justice for Daphne and her family remains the only acceptable outcome.
Signed:
- International Press Institute (IPI)
- ARTICLE 19 Europe
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
- European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
- Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and Ukraine. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.
