Brief an die Botschafterin der Republik Malta

Brief an die Botschafterin der Republik Malta

Brief an die Botschafterin der Republik Malta

Reporter ohne Grenzen Österreich, International Press Institute (IPI) und Presseclub Concordia forderten in einem Schreiben die maltesischen Behörden dazu auf, den Mord an Daphne Caruana Galizia endlich aufzuklären und die Hintermänner des Attentats zur Verantwortung zu ziehen. Der Brief wurde im Zuge der Mahnwache für Galizia am 16.10.2019 der Botschafterin der Republik Malta, Natasha Meli Daudey, überreicht.


Her excellency Natasha Meli Daudey
Ambassador
Republic of Malta
Vienna 16 October 2019

The assassination of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

Your excellency,

The International Press Institute, Reporter Ohne Grenzen Österreich and Presseclub Concordia are
extremely concerned over the slow pace of investigation into the assassination of journalist Daphne
Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a car bombing on this day two years ago.
While three people have been formally charged in the case, the Government of Malta has not made
sufficient efforts to find the masterminds who ordered the killing and bring them to justice. This is
unacceptable, and the government’s prevarication raises suspicion that there is no real will to
prosecute those responsible for the assassination.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called for a thorough investigation
and in 2017, appointed special rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt to scrutinize the investigation. His
subsequent draft report raised concerns about the wider rule of law in Malta. The European
Parliament, the Council of Europe’s Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, the Council of Europe’s
Venice Commission have been joined by several international press freedom organizations and
journalists’ associations in calling for a fully independent enquiry.

We welcome the Maltese government’s move in September, following much vacillation and pressure
from the international community, to establish an inquiry into the murder. However, we support the
call of the Caruana Galizia family to ensure that this inquiry be fully independent and impartial. At the
same time, the establishment of this important inquiry does not replace the need to prosecute those
responsible for this crime and prevent impunity.

Meanwhile, we remain profoundly concerned by the ongoing harassment of the Caruana Galizia
family. Numerous libel cases against Daphne Caruana Galizia are still pending in the courts despite
calls by the Council of Europe to drop them. Many of those cases have now been transferred to
Daphne Caruana Galizia’s heirs. The Maltese authorities have taken no steps to prevent the removal
of a memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia in Valletta while press freedom defenders have also been
harassed.

We urge your government to ensure that the inquiry is fully impartial and those who ordered the
assassination of the journalist are arrested and brought to justice, all libel cases against Daphne
Caruana Galizia and her family are dropped, and the harassment of her family and all those seeking
justice is immediately stopped.

Where the killing a journalist goes unpunished, press freedom ceases to exist. As an EU member state, Malta should protect human rights and uphold the rule of law instead of undermining it.

Yours sincerely,

Barbara Trionfi (Executive Director International Press Institute)
Dr. Daniela Kraus (Generalsekretärin Presseclub Concordia)
Dr. Rubina Möhring (President Reporters without Borders Austria)