PEN Condemns the Murder of Maltese Investigative Journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia

Statement from PEN International

17 October 2017

Anti-corruption activists, press freedom advocates and investigative journalists from around the world condemn the barbaric murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, an investigative journalist from Malta who courageously exposed organised crime and corruption in politics.

Only when corruption is uncovered can action be taken to hold criminals to account. Anti-corruption activists work side-by-side with investigative journalists to shine a light into the dark world of corruption and advocate action to end impunity.

We call on the authorities in Malta to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. Those who expose corruption must be protected, not intimidated.

Caruana Galizia’s work included exposés of the shady secret deals, uncovered in the Panama Papers, that show how politicians and others hide illicit wealth behind secret companies.

Our thoughts are with her family.

“My mother was assassinated because she stood between the rule of law and those who sought to violate it, like many strong journalists. But she was also targeted because she was the only person doing so,” said Matthew Caruana Galizia, developer and data journalist at ICIJ.

Signed by:

Article 19
The Association of European Journalists
Civil Liberties Union for Europe
Committee to Protect Journalists
English PEN
Finance Uncovered
Global Witness
Index on Censorship
International Press Institute
International Women’s Media Foundation
P24, platform for independent journalism (Istanbul, Turkey)
PEN International
PEN South Africa
Reporters Without Borders
Transparency International

(Image courtesy of Running Commentary)