European Parliament President Antonio Tajani today said that the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia last week should not go unpunished.
Speaking during a special ceremony organised in Strasbourg in the presence of the slain journalist’s family, Tajani said he was sure Maltese authorities will spare no effort in getting to the bottom of what happened.
This is his full address:
"As President, as a citizen and as a journalist, I should like to express my sense of outrage at the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
"She was a brave woman, and a fine journalist. She epitomised everything that is good about that profession: she sought out the truth, the facts, and refused to let anyone stand in her way. She was not afraid to do whatever it took to fulfil what she saw as her duty.
"In 30 years as a journalist, she never lost heart. She continued to shine a light in dark places, to speak the truth, answering only to her readers, the only people to whom she felt accountable. Drawing on that inner strength, she published more than 20 000 articles denouncing abuses of power, corruption and the failings of governments.
"Like every true journalist, she was the sentinel, the soldier in the front line defending our values. We have a free and independent press to thank for democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression - all the fundamental rights on which the European integration process and our very civilisation are founded.
"Our Union is far more than just a market or a single currency. It is the manifestation of our values, of our identity, at the heart of which stand the freedom and dignity of the individual. If we are to defend that freedom and that dignity, inside and outside the Union, we must safeguard the independence of the press. I am proud that this Parliament has always been in the front line of that battle.
"Daphne’s murder must not go unpunished. How can we credibly claim to defend journalists around the world if we cannot even offer them protection and justice here at home?
"I expect that the Maltese authorities will spare no effort in getting to the bottom of what happened. Every lead must be followed up. In my view Europol must also be involved, as part of an international investigation in which all police forces work together to bring those responsible to justice.
"The example Daphne set must never be forgotten. Together with the Vice-Presidents and the Quaestors, I have decided that the press conference room here in Strasbourg should bear the name of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
"Her family is here with us today in the gallery. To them I would like to say that we are together in spirit with the thousands of Maltese who on Sunday took to the streets to call for justice and to pay tribute to Daphne’s work."
At the end of the address, a minute's silence was observed.
Proposed investigative journalism prize
PN MEP David Casa, later in the day, published a Facebook post stating that Greens MEP Sven Giegold proposed an annual award for European Prize for Investigative Journalism in the name of Daphne Caruana Galizia. "I shall ensure that the EPP wholeheartedly backs this proposal in our fight to reward transparency and democratic principles."