On October 16, 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia, an influential journalist and blogger, was murdered in a heinous attack because she took risks to promote greater transparency and speak uncomfortable truths to those in power.
The United States strongly supports the rule of law and the vital role of a free and independent press around the world. We condemn those who would employ violence to silence dissenting voices.
We welcomed the Public Inquiry’s thorough and incisive report on Ms. Caruana Galizia’s murder and support the government’s commitment to implement its recommendations. We continue to call for a thorough, transparent, timely, and credible conclusion to the investigations into the murder. We reiterate that strong judicial processes and accountability are essential to the just conclusion to this case, which will reassure journalists everywhere that their voices are valued.
Four years after her death, Daphne Caruana Galizia’s legacy lives on in the Maltese media and civil society organizations, which relentlessly scrutinize the authorities, exercising their role as guardians of democracy and rule of law. We stand by Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family, the media, and civil society in their efforts to ensure that justice is served.