Malta acquits Yorgen Fenech in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

A Maltese jury has cleared business tycoon Yorgen Fenech of all charges related to the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The verdict, delivered on September 2 after eight hours of deliberation, was reached by an 8-1 majority on charges of murder and criminal association.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition, a group of international press freedom organisations, has condemned the acquittal as a failure of justice. The coalition stated the decision leaves the case in a state of partial impunity and represents a severe impediment to the global fight against impunity for the murder of journalists.

A Verdict Met With Shock

Partners from the MFRR who travelled to Valletta to witness the verdict expressed shared shock and dismay. In a statement published by ARTICLE 19, they described the outcome as a demoralising and significant setback after a nine-year campaign for accountability. The prosecution has already announced its intention to appeal.

"After a months-long trial and a tireless nine-year campaign for accountability for all those involved, full justice for Daphne’s murder has now been delayed further," the coalition's statement said. The groups sent their full support to Caruana Galizia's family and legal team, reaffirming their determination to secure accountability.

Unresolved Questions and Institutional Failure

The criminal trial highlighted numerous unresolved claims concerning the possible involvement of other powerful individuals, including former officials. The press freedom groups stress that the acquittal must not end the authorities' responsibility to establish who planned, commissioned, and enabled the assassination.

They argue that those who ultimately ordered the murder cannot go unpunished. The family of Daphne Caruana Galizia has pointed out that, nine years after her killing, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed.

A Symbolic Case for Press Freedom

The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia had become symbolic of the fight for press freedom and the rule of law in Malta. Her reporting on corruption and organised crime made her a target. The MFRR argues there can be no genuine protection for press freedom while the murder of a journalist remains only partially accounted for.

The coalition hopes the verdict will be swiftly overturned on appeal. They stress that the search for truth cannot end with this trial. The fight for justice and for press freedom reforms continues, they state, despite what they call a serious setback.

The statement was signed by the International Press Institute (IPI), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).