An English translation is beneath:

Video-message for the commemoration ceremony of Daphne Caruana Galizia

16 October 2019

Dear Maltese friends,

Today is the second anniversary of the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Unfortunately, I cannot attend to this commemoration.

With her life, we lost also a piece of press freedom. Her numerous inquiries, along with the valuable contributions on her online blog, one of the most popular amongst the citizens of Malta, are an extraordinary example of courage and dedication to work.

In 30 years of career and over 20,000 articles, Daphne has best interpreted the essence of our profession: the search for truth. It is a hard and difficult investigation work.

Everywhere in Europe, there are journalists fighting every day for truth and justice. Like Daphne, they are the sentinels of our society and our freedom.

Freedom of expression is a pillar of our democracy and of human rights. Those rights are at the basis of the human nature. It is our curiosity as human beings, our desire for knowledge.

In the last three centuries, the right to free press has gradually established itself, hand in hand with the historical evolution that led us to the Rule of law. Today, the European Union cannot be a dangerous place for those who guarantee correct information to our citizens.

I talked about it during the hearing of the Vice President of the European Commission for Values and transparency, Vera Jourova. I asked her for a strong commitment to make the truth emerge on the Daphne case. The judicial investigation has not yet revealed the instigators of his murder. This is the key point. We want to know who decided the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Only when we will know who is behind this heinous crime, we will have the truth.

How can we Europeans ask Third countries to guarantee freedom of expression, if we are not able to defend it in our Member States? How can we remain inert in front of such a cowardly attack on the free press?

In recent years, journalists are under attack everywhere. They are menaced and threatened, forced to live under guard, killed. Along with Daphne, today I want to remember Jan KUZIAK, Barto Pedro ORENT-NIEDZIELSKI and Antonio MEGALIZZI.

As a journalist, I have always considered my profession not a job, but a mission to be carried out in the interest of citizens. This is why I will continue to fight to ensure justice for Daphne, her family and the entire Maltese community.

I warmly thank David Casa for organizing this commemoration. I embrace Daphne’s family. In the path to the truth, I will always be by your side. I will never stop fighting with you.

I greet all of you. I am sure that, in Malta and all over Europe, the example left by Daphne will be an inspiration for many girls and boys to be tireless seekers of truth.

Thanks, Daphne Caruana Galizia, for your engagement for freedom.