Members of  national parliaments from 47 European countries meeting in Strasbourg in the next few weeks will be receiving appeals from several individuals and organisations asking for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to appoint a special rapporteur to monitor the murder investigation, investigate the broader circumstances surrounding Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death, and ensure there is no impunity for the perpetrators of the crimes Daphne Caruana Galizia exposed.

The Council of Europe is Europe’s highest human rights organisation that groups 47 member states including Russia and that convenes an assembly of delegations of sitting parliamentarians from across Europe. The next meeting will hear an appeal from Daphne Caruana Galizia’s sons for international scrutiny of what is happening in Malta in the aftermath of last October’s killing.

Their call is receiving support from several organisations and prominent individuals.

A joint letter of support today was signed by the following:

  • Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
  • Antoine Bernard, Deputy Director General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
  • Patricia Moreira, Managing Director, Transparency International
  • Barbara Trionfi, Executive Director, International Press Institute (IPI)
  • Carles Torner, Executive Director, PEN International
  • Tom Gibson, EU Representative, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
  • Anna Bevan, Assistant Director, International News Safety Institute (INSI)
  • Ernest Sagaga, Head of Human Rights and Safety, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
  • Joy Hyvarinen, Head of Advocacy, Index on Censorship
  • Natalia Yerashevich, Director of the Secretariat, Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
  • Katie Morris, Head of Europe and Central Asia, ARTICLE 19
  • Antonia Byatt, Interim Director, English PEN
  • Dr Lutz Kinkel, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
  • William Horsley, VP and Media Freedom Representative, Association of European Journalists (AEJ)

In the meantime a group of organisations that form a standing partnership with the Council of Europe on the promotion of journalism and the protection of journalists today reminded the Council that in 2016 it approved guidelines on what should happen after the killing of a journalist. The guidelines state that “investigations must be effective to maintain public confidence in the authorities’ maintenance of the rule of law and to prevent any appearance of collusion in or tolerance of unlawful acts.” The Guidelines also recommend that “investigations should be subject to public oversight, and that the victim’s next of kin must be involved in the procedure to the extent necessary to safeguard their legitimate interests.”

The organisations that made today’s statement of support are: Article 19, Association of European Journalists, Committee to Protect Journalists, European Federation of Journalists, Index On Censorship, International Federation of Journalists, International News Safety Institute, International Press Institute, PEN International and Reporters Sans Frontières.

Their report can be downloaded here: Joint-statement-partners-platform-final_REV