VALLETTA — Thousands of people marched through Malta’s capital on Wednesday, demanding justice for anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, two weeks after a jury acquitted the businessman accused of orchestrating her murder.
Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in 2017. Three men convicted of planting the device and two others involved in making it are serving lengthy prison sentences. However, business magnate Yorgen Fenech was cleared of complicity in murder and criminal association following a two-month trial.
The verdict sparked anger among the journalist’s family and drew condemnation from press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders, which described the decision as deeply disturbing.
Protesters chanted “mafia” and carried signs reading “Justice Denied,” “End Impunity” and “We Will Not Look the Other Way.” Malta’s attorney general is expected to appeal, although the legal challenge would be restricted to points of law.
In a message read by his granddaughter, Caruana Galizia’s father, Michael Vella, said the campaign represented more than a demand for accountability over his daughter’s death.
“The struggle is not only for justice for Daphne, but for a country to be governed not by corruption and fear, but by sound institutions and the rule of law,” he said.
Her niece Amy Mallia, who was 15 when the journalist was killed, said the acquittal had revived the grief and anger surrounding the case. “Money is power, for some. But there are some things money just cannot buy, including morals, ethics, truth,” she said.
Manuel Delia, a leader of the rule-of-law group Repubblika, called for stronger anti-mafia laws, better protection for journalists and institutions free from political or commercial influence.
The Maltese government has avoided substantive comment on the verdict while an appeal is considered. Prosecutors alleged that Fenech wanted Caruana Galizia killed because she was preparing to publish information about his business dealings. He has denied the accusation.