Malta: No justice for the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia following shock acquittal

Image Credit: Pablo L Mendoza / Shutterstock

‘The PEN Community expresses full solidarity with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family in their never-ending fight for justice. Those who killed Daphne sought to silence her, yet her powerful legacy lives on. We will continue to honour Daphne’s memory and will not rest until full accountability for her murder and the corruption she died exposing has been achieved’, said Judyth Hill, Chair of PEN International’s Women Writers Committee.

04 September 2026: The Maltese authorities must urgently hold to account all those responsible for the killing of Malta’s renowned investigative journalist and anti-corruption campaigner Daphne Caruana Galizia, PEN International and PEN Malta said today. The acquittal of Yorgen Fenech, who had been charged with masterminding her 2017 killing, is yet another blow to the family’s years-long quest for justice and accountability.

On 2 September 2026, Valetta’s Criminal Court found Yorgen Fenech, a powerful businessman and property developer, not guilty of complicity and criminal association in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Prosecutors have limited grounds for appeal. To date, five people have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in relation to Caruana Galizia’s murder, however the Maltese authorities have yet to convict the mastermind. The verdict drew swift criticism from the Caruana Galizia family and press freedom groups, in Malta and beyond.

‘Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered for doing journalism. Every year that passes without a full, credible accounting of who ordered her killing, and without consequences for the state actors who enabled the conditions for it, is a renewed assault on her memory and on press freedom in Malta. It tells every journalist in this country what happens to those who investigate power here’, said Kurt Borg, President of PEN Malta.

Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated on 16 October 2017 when a car bomb detonated as she drove away from her home in Bidnija. She was 53 years old. The government whose corruption she investigated repeatedly obstructed the path to justice for Caruana Galizia and her family. Dozens of civil defamation lawsuits continued against her posthumously. Human rights defenders and journalists who campaigned on the case faced serious pressure, harassment and acts of reprisal.

In July 2021, a landmark public inquiry found that Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination was both predictable and preventable, and pointed to the responsibility of the Maltese state for her death, a collapse in the rule of law, and the failure of the authorities to take measures to protect her. Press freedom groups – including PEN International and PEN Malta – have repeatedly urged the Maltese authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the public inquiry to ensure effective protection of journalists. 

PEN International, PEN Malta and PEN Centres around the world have been actively campaigning for justice following the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Notably, PEN devised a poetry memorial as a tribute to her courage and dedication to freedom of expression. The collection is available here.

Note to editors:

For further details contact Aurélia Dondo, Head of Europe and Central Asia Region at PEN International: [email protected]

For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, Head of Communications and Campaigns at PEN International: [email protected]

PEN Malta’s spokespeople Kurt Borg, President, and Karl Schembri, are available for interviews: [email protected]