Malta jury acquits Yorgen Fenech in Daphne Caru in Daphne
A Maltese jury acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of complicity in the 2017 car bomb assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, leaving no one
Almost nine years after investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb attack, Malta has still not convicted anyone for orchestrating her murder. On Wednesday, a jury acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech, who had been accused of masterminding the killing in October 2017, on two counts of complicity and criminal association. The verdict came after a 55-day trial that gripped the nation. Many people gasped when the acquittal was read, while others burst into tears. Fenech, who had pleaded not guilty, left the courtroom following the ruling.
The prosecution is expected to appeal the decision. For Caruana Galizia’s family, the outcome was devastating after years of campaigning for justice. A public inquiry had previously concluded that the assassination was both predictable and preventable, citing failings by the Maltese state. CPJ’s deputy director of advocacy Tom Gibson, who was in Valletta for the verdict, said the result was heartbreaking for her family and devastating for journalists seeking to hold power to account across Europe.
Gibson added that Malta has made many promises about journalism safety and the rule of law since the murder but has failed to deliver on most of them, calling the situation unacceptable. He pledged continued campaigning for reform and support for the family until justice is served. The family echoed this sentiment, stating that Daphne had been denied the justice she deserved and that accountability remains overdue for those who enabled, help, or protected her murderers.
Before her killing, Caruana Galizia faced an orchestrated campaign of harassment and vilification by the Maltese government, including legal intimidation, aimed at silencing her reporting on corruption, money laundering, organized crime, and political misconduct. Herman Grech, editor-in-chief of the Times of Malta, said the fundamental question remains unanswered: someone ordered a journalist to be killed, and nobody has been convicted. He described the verdict as devastating for press freedom and a chilling message to journalists, but insisted they would not give up.
The Fenech trial marked a major milestone in the long pursuit of justice. In 2019, a suspected facilitator received a presidential pardon in exchange for naming those responsible. Since then, five people have been found guilty and jailed for roles in orchestrating or carrying out the murder. Following pressure from the family and international institutions, Malta established a separate public inquiry in 2019 to examine the murder’s circumstances. Its report found the state had created an atmosphere of impunity, failed to recognize risks to her life, and did not take protective measures. Authorities have still not implemented most of the inquiry’s recommendations or undertaken meaningful press freedom reforms.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation said the failure to address the corruption and abuse of power she exposed contributes to ongoing insecurity for journalists. In October 2025, CPJ and other press freedom groups urged Malta to create a national action plan on media freedom and journalist safety, providing recommendations during a government-led public consultation. Wednesday’s verdict is not an endpoint. CPJ will continue standing with the family in their push for justice and demanding that Maltese authorities fulfill promises to protect journalists and uphold the rule of law.
