Two years after the assassination of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and one year after CPJ joined five other organizations in an international press freedom mission to Malta, CPJ and nine other groups once again demanded an end to impunity for the heinous attack and renewed calls to ensure the independence of a public inquiry into the killing.
Caruana Galizia was killed when the car she was driving exploded in Malta on October 16, 2017. Three men are currently in detention in relation to the killing, according to CPJ research; however the perpetrators, including the masterminds, have yet to be brought to justice and no trial dates have been announced.
CPJ welcomed the Maltese government’s announcement on September 20 about the establishment of a public inquiry and has called on the government to ensure that the inquiry is fully independent and impartial. CPJ shared the concerns of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) with regard to both the terms of reference and the composition of the Board of Inquiry.
Today, CPJ and other organizations urged the Maltese government to move forward without further delay in establishing a truly independent and impartial public inquiry in line with PACE’s requirements.
To commemorate the second anniversary of the journalist’s killing, CPJ and partner organizations are holding vigils in several cities, including London and Brussels today.
The full text of the statement is here.