During an international journalism awards ceremony held in Sorrento,Italy, on Saturday evening, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani dedicated the Biagio Agnes award he received to assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Tajani worked as a journalist for more than 20 years, starting his career with Rai Radio Uno. He went on to become a special correspondent in Lebanon, the Soviet Union and Somalia.

He also worked for Il Giornale before he became one of the co-founders of political party Forza Italia. Tajani has been EP President since 17 January, 2017.

The awards acknowledged the work of a number of Italian journalists including Paolo Mieli and Ezio Mauro, while the international award was given to Jèrôme Fenoglio of French newspaper Le Monde.

The Biagio Agnes International Journalism Awards ceremony is organised annually by the Foundation Biagio Agnes, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Campania region, the City of Capri, the National Order of Journalists and the School of Journalism of the University of Salerno.

The event brings together some of the biggest names in journalism and is an evening of culture and entertainment. It is scheduled to be broadcast on Rai 1 on Wednesday 27 June.

Tajani posted his comment on Twitter, tagging one of Caruana Galizia’s sons – Matthew. “In Sorrento to receive the Biagio Agnes award. It is a great honour. I never forget that I am a journalist. I dedicate the award to Daphne Caruana Galizia and other colleagues assassinated,” Tajani said.

Matthew Caruana Galizia thanked the EP President for dedicating the prize to his mother. Caruana Galizia was assassinated on 10 October in a car bomb a few metres outside her home.

On the same evening, citizens were lighting candles at her memorial marking 250 days since she was killed.