60 journalists demand to know ‘who killed Daphne?’

Sixty Italian journalists have signed a declaration demanding the truth on the mastermind behind the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb a few metres away from her home on 16 October 2017. As the anniversary of her death approaches, prominent names in the Italian media signed the declaration that also called for the protection of journalists in Europe.

The declaration leads with the statement that “Europe is no longer safe for journalists”. It points to the murders of Caruana Galizia as well as Jan Kuciak in Slovakia in February. Since then, Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova was raped and killed in her hometown of Ruse.

The declaration started with 30 journalists signing up until a few days ago – it has since increased to 60.

The signatories include Maria Grazia Mazzola (Special correspondent, Rai Tg1), Udo Gumpel (Italy correspondent for German N-TV channel), Carlo Bonini (investigative journalist, La Repubblica), Fiorenza Sarzanini (Special correspondent, Corriere della Sera) and Lorenzo Frigerio (Director, Libera Informazione). The Shift News journalist Caroline Muscat and blogger Manuel Delia also signed the declaration.

The declaration stresses that the journalists assassinated investigated “organised crime and the flow of dirty money”. It points out that organised crime has no borders in a globalised world.

In Italy, too, an increasing number of journalists are being threatened and physically assaulted. The appeal calls on journalists to stand shoulder to shoulder with colleagues in Malta who are on the frontline, facing threats for doing their job of holding power to account.

The journalists will join activities next week organised to commemorate the journalist, a year after her death.

“In Malta, journalists are facing threats. We cannot leave them alone. Let’s go to Malta and stand shoulder to shoulder with Daphne’s family and our colleagues who are threatened. We will demand the truth: Who killed Daphne?”