Vigils in Malta, Europe and US to mark six months since murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Monday will mark six months since the brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and a number of events have been organised in Europe and the US to renew calls for justice.

Since her assassination on 16 October, 2017, Caruana Galizia has been awarded seven international awards and honours, including the Holme Award in Sweden, the Person of the Year award by Italian daily La Repubblica, the Tully Award for Free Speech by the Syracuse University in the US and a number of awards by Italian journalist associations.

In May, Caruana Galizia will be awarded the Conscience in Media award by the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

After renaming a press room in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Parliament has also proposed a prize to be named in Daphne’s honour.

The events to mark her death in Malta will kick-off in Valletta with a mass led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna at 6pm at St Francis Church, Republic Street Valletta. This will be followed by a vigil at 7pm at Great Siege Square in Valletta. The events are organised by Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, il-Kenniesa and Awturi.

Il-Kenniesa have also teamed up with several organisations around Europe to organise six parallel vigils in six different cities: London, Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Malta. The vigil in Malta, is being co-sponsored by local activist groups Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, Awturi and Il-Kenniesa, and Pauline Adès-Mével from Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) will also be in Malta to address the Valletta vigil.

Il-Kenniesa activist Tina Urso said journalists were killed twice: “first, they are murdered, and then those who commissioned their murder and their supporters do everything in their power to bury their memory; Daphne’s make shift memorial being destroyed 9 times – the last time just this week – is a stark example of this. But the international community is working tirelessly to keep Daphne’s memory alive and what she stood for, and so are we”.

Noting that the base of anti-corruption group Il-Kenniesa has grown internationally, Urso said the activists were using their resources to make this possible with Maltese living abroad who have been wanting to do their part but didn’t know how.

“All NGOs have been extremely on board and very helpful in making these six parallel vigils a success. Daphne was unstoppable in her fight for justice in Malta, and her fight is now an international one. Everyone wants to end impunity on Daphne’s assassination. We will pursue it until we see full justice.”

Other vigils are being co-sponsored by Reporters Without Borders, Reporter Ohne Grenzen EFJ, CPJ, EnglishPen, Scottish Pen, Transparency International, Article 19, Index on Censorship.

Scottish MSP James Dornan, who had tabled a parliamentary motion to ensure that there is a full and open inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Daphne’s assassination will be addressing the vigil in Edinburgh outside the Scottish Parliament.

RSF (USA) are separately organising a vigil for Daphne Caruana Galizia in Washington DC while The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom are holding a vigil in Dresden, Germany.

Events to be held on Monday 16 April:

Malta

Mass led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna

Location: St Francis Church, Republic Street Valletta

Time: 6pm

Vigils:

Malta

Location: Great Siege Square, Valletta

Time: 7pm

Organised by Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, Awturi and Il-Kenniesa

England

Location: Malta High Commission, London

Address: Malta House, 36-38 Piccadilly, W1J 0DP London, United Kingdom

Time: 1pm (UK time)

Organised by Il-Kenniesa, English PEN, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Index on Censorship, PEN International and ARTICLE 19

Scotland

Location: Outside Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh

Time: 2pm (UK time)

Organised by Scottish MSP James Dornan, il-Kenniesa, Scottish PEN

Belgium

Location: Rond-Point Robert Schuman, Brussels

Time: 1pm

Organised by Il-Kenniesa, Reporters Without Borders (Brussels), RSF, International Federation of Journalists, Committee to Protect Journalists

Germany

Location: Botschaft der Republik Malta, Berlin

Address: 7 Klingelhöfer Straße, 10785 Berlin, Germany

Time: 5.30pm