The International Press Institute, PEN International, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom and the European Federation of Journalists have today formally reiterated their call for a public inquiry into whether Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination could have been prevented.
They have also called upon the government to guarantee full, regular access and interviews to the independent media finding Malta’s government has closed its doors to legitimate inquiry by independent journalists. The organisation has asked for changes in the law so that heirs of dead journalists do not inherit the liability of defamation suits and for public officials to hold themselves to a higher standard of scrutiny and not use the courts to punish journalists.
The organisations also formally called on the government to respect the protest site in front of the Court. Even as they filed their recommendations the government ignored them again by striking down the protest material and refusing to return them to protesters.
Here’s the NGOs’ final report.
