Six international organisations react to guilty verdicts on the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

Six international press freedom organisations have welcomed the conviction of two men for their role in the 2017 assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, calling the verdict a significant but incomplete step towards justice.

On 5 June, a jury in Malta’s Criminal Court found Robert Agius and Jamie Vella guilty of complicity in the murder, following a six-week trial and nine hours of deliberation.

Agius and Vella, members of the Maltese criminal gang known as Ta’ Maksar, were convicted of supplying the explosives used to kill Caruana Galizia, whose car was blown up outside her home on 16 October 2017. Despite denying the charges, the two now face life imprisonment, with sentencing expected next week.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described the convictions as “undeniable progress” in the pursuit of justice, but underscored the broader failings of the Maltese State.

Pavol Szalai, Head of RSF’s European Union and Balkans Desk, stated: “Their trial once again highlighted the Maltese State’s failure to dismantle — at every stage — the complex scheme devised to kill a journalist… The justice system must swiftly proceed toward the conviction of the mastermind behind the murder, and the government must finally implement the recommendations on journalist safety and press freedom that emerged from the public inquiry.”

RSF has also condemned the February 2025 release on bail of the alleged mastermind, businessman Yorgen Fenech, who secured a court order banning media coverage of his legal proceedings.

In addition, the International Press Institute (IPI) and five other media freedom organisations — Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) — hailed the guilty verdicts as a “crucial development in the fight against impunity.”

In a joint statement, they said: “These latest convictions are a vital step forward… but full justice remains the only acceptable outcome. While progress is being made on securing convictions, wider institutional reform outlined in the recommendations of the Public Inquiry have not been implemented.”

The organisations praised the legal team representing Caruana Galizia’s family and reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing justice not only in the courts but also through systemic change. They called on the Maltese government to demonstrate the political will needed to end the culture of impunity that enabled the murder.

Five individuals have now been convicted in connection with Caruana Galizia’s murder. Alongside Agius and Vella, brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio are serving 40-year sentences for planting and detonating the bomb. Vincent Muscat is serving a 15-year sentence after testifying against the others.

Melvin Theuma, the self-confessed middleman, was granted a presidential pardon in exchange for evidence against the alleged mastermind, Yorgen Fenech.

The public inquiry into the killing, published in 2021, found the Maltese State responsible for creating a climate that enabled the assassination — yet most of its recommendations remain unfulfilled.

As international scrutiny intensifies, press freedom advocates continue to urge Malta to implement these reforms and ensure full justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia.