Thousands of people call for justice for Daphne

Thousands of people gathered in Valletta on Wednesday in solidarity following the verdict in the Yorgen Fenech trial. The organisers said that the protest affirmed the pursuit of truth, accountability and reform.

People marched from parliament to the law courts, facing the square where journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s memorial has been held every month since she was murdered on 16 October 2017. Drums played, banners read “justice denied”.

The message: “The verdict settles the criminal charges decided in that trial. It does not settle the political and institutional meaning of what the evidence exposed.”

The protest was organised by Repubblika and Occupy Justice and endorsed by mainstream news media as well as a number of NGOS, including Moviment Graffitti, aditus, MEIA, FAA, MGRM, KNZ, and others.

Daphne’s niece, Megan, read a message from her grandfather, Michael Vella, who thanked everyone who stood up for justice over the years.

“As our quest for justice enters a new phase, in the name of Rose, my late wife, on behalf of  our family, I express our gratitude to those who, for the past nine years, in the face of threats  and adversity, in summer heat and freezing rain, and throughout the Covid pandemic,  consistently organised or participated in these monthly gatherings in the quest for justice for Daphne, for the attainment of her ideals, in the quest for a country governed not by corruption and fear, but by sound institutions and the rule of law.”

She was joined by her sister Amy, who said, “We need Malta to fully implement the recommendations of the public inquiry into Daphne’s assassination, to make sure no one ever faces the same risks Daphne did, and to ensure journalists can work safely.

Pia Zammit, from Occupy Justice, asked why the authorities have not yet revealed and charged everyone involved in the “mafia network”.

“While we respect the verdict, we insist that every question raised during the trial is addressed,” she added. “The State had years to act on the corruption Daphne was investigating… Now, again they tell us to let the institutions work. We did. They failed.”

Manuel Delia, representing Repubblika, stressed the need for solidarity as a counterweight to fear and power. He addressed journalists, whistleblowers, honest public officials, ethical businesses and people who know about wrongdoing, telling them they were not alone. He said fear works by isolating people and making them believe they were powerless, or that speaking out would come at a personal cost. “But when people stand together, that isolation is broken, and fear can become courage.”

The protest in Malta was joined by others in different European countries. In Brussels today, international press freedom organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, and the Committee to Protect Journalists, held a protest rally. It followed similar rallies in London, Paris, and the Netherlands, calling for Justice for Daphne.

EU President Von der Leyen also referred to the murdered journalist in her State of the Union speech on Wednesday, saying, “There can be no impunity for Daphne’s murder”.