Marking One Year Since the Killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia
Yesterday marked one year since the brutal assassination of Malta’s best-known investigative journalist and anti-corruption campaigner, Daphne Caruana Galizia. She was killed when a car bomb detonated as she drove away from her home in Bidnija, Malta.
Although three individuals have been arrested in the murder investigation, those who ordered her killing have yet to be brought to justice. PEN International supports the Caruana Galizia family's call for a public inquiry into her death.
To honour her bravery, and to call for justice in her case, a group of Maltese people living, studying, and working in London, together with a number of free expression and anti-corruption NGOs, held a candlelight vigil in the courtyard of St James's Church opposite the Malta High Commission in London. Similar events took place in Malta and in other European cities.
The vigil opened with a statement from Daphne's sons, which read:
'As many journalists already know through the experience of their murdered colleagues, killing is only the first step in making someone disappear. The next step is to kill their legacy, destroy their reputation, and undermine their work. And then to harass anyone who tries to memorialise them, fight for justice, or campaign for investigation into the crimes they exposed.'
Followed by a reading of Margaret Atwood's article published in the Guardian calling for justice:
'Daphne Caruana Galizia had the courage and resilience to write despite the threats she faced. Today, on the anniversary of her assassination, the global membership of PEN International call again for justice in her case. To secure this, it is essential that there is a public inquiry to determine who commissioned her killing – and, crucially, whether it could have been prevented.'
PEN International President Jennifer Clement closed the London vigil for Daphne Caruana Galizia:
'Tonight’s display of solidarity for Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family was staggering.
'It is a tribute to her courage, her fearlessness and to the impact she had not just in Malta, but across the world...Daphne Caruana Galizia was targeted because of her work, because she dared to express her opinions, because she refused to be silenced.'
Those gathered then walked to the Maltese High Commission to lay flowers, candles and created a vigil outside Malta's High Commission.