Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family attended a hearing of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Wednesday, with Malta’s jury system remaining at the centre of the debate following the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech.
The hearing is part of the preparation of a report by Baroness Shami Chakrabarti (United Kingdom, SOC) titled “Justice delayed: the unfinished implementation of the Daphne Caruana Galizia case”. It was held by PACE’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in Paris and heard from the murdered journalist’s son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, and her sister, Corinne Vella.
During the meeting, the committee examined the measures Malta has taken since the journalist’s murder.
The hearing came after a Maltese jury acquitted Yorgen Fenech of charges conspiring and commissioning the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.
Questions over Malta’s jury system
During the hearing, Matthew Caruana Galizia said his family was doing everything possible to secure a new trial for Fenech. He also said they want to ensure that any retrial takes place with the necessary safeguards. “My mother was murdered for her journalism, specifically for her journalism on corruption,” Matthew said. He also alleged that there was “strong evidence” of possible manipulation by the defence of the pool of candidates selected for jury service.
Corinne Vella, in turn, blamed the Maltese government for creating a culture of impunity that enabled her sister’s murder. She added that this culture has strengthened since the assassination and the events that followed.
In contrast, leading Maltese political figures have defended the jury system. Nationalist Party Leader Alex Borg defended the jury system in a press conference earlier today. However, he questioned the State’s actions and whether it had fulfilled its responsibilities from the beginning of the investigation.
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also defended the jury system and criticised the attacks directed at its members. Nevertheless, he said he was baffled by Fenech’s acquittal.
Lack of reforms and its impact on justice
Shami Chakrabarti, who is preparing PACE’s new report, expressed concern that, almost nine years after Caruana Galizia’s murder, those responsible have still not been held accountable. “It is deeply shocking that, almost nine years after the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the masterminds behind the killing have not yet been held accountable,” she said. She also warned that the lack of action could contribute to a culture of impunity in Malta.
Chakrabarti stressed that this was not an ordinary crime. She recalled that the public inquiry concluded the Maltese State bore responsibility for the assassination, having created a climate of impunity generated from the highest levels and having failed to take preventive measures to protect Caruana Galizia’s life. “The quest for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia is not over,” she said. “All those responsible for ordering her assassination must be brought to justice and the wider recommendations of the public inquiry must be implemented in full.”
Wednesday’s parliamentary hearing has once again placed the Caruana Galizia case at the centre of debate. Meanwhile, PACE continues to examine Malta’s response almost nine years after the journalist’s murder.
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