Global Forum for Media Development representative Anne Marie Hammer has recommended the setting up of an advisory body to oversee the investigations into all murders of Journalists.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day (which will be taking place on 3 May) Julie Majerczak, from Reporters Without Borders and Anne Marie Hammer, Policy Manager, Global Forum for Media Development, held an exchange of views with MEPs during a meeting of the Committee on Human Rights at the European Parliament in Brussels. PN MEP Francis Zammit Dimech was present. The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) is a network of journalism support and media assistance groups established in 2005 in Amman, Jordan.
Hammer added that according to Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) editor in chief Drew Sullivan, if the EU were to establish a mandate for an advisory body to oversee the investigation of journalists murdered she said, that this would raise the risks for criminals. "We could call the legislation to secure this mandate Daphne's law, in honour of Daphne Caruana Galizia. We're not advocating for a commission with specific legal powers, we are suggesting a body made up of experts with forensic skills and a strong political mandate that can help and advise local police and verify their procedures, thereby helping well-meaning law enforcement to do their job. Such an advisory body would also help to overcome any lack of political will amongst local authorities where the active undermining of the police often scuttles such investigations. We believe that having someone looking over the shoulder of the investigators, would increase the probability of action."
She spoke about threats made to journalists, such as in the Czech Republic where the President brandished a toy assault rifle telling people it was for journalists. She mentioned Trump like attacks against the media also taking place in Hungary and Bulgaria.
She said: "When governments create this kind of negative environment for free and independent media, they are basically allowing for a lynch-mob mentality. Extremists and even regular members of the public, perceive it as legitimate to attack journalists."
"In a democracy you must tolerate all voices. And yet in these three countries and in others there is a growing intolerance against media plurality."
She also referred to Forbidden stories, a French led non-profit project that focuses on continuing and completing the work of other journalists who are facing threats, prison or murder launched the 'Daphne Project' - a project led by 45 journalists from 18 news organisations from 15 countries who came together to continue and complete Daphne's investigations. "This will show the killers that the murder of a journalist will neither benefit them nor stop the story... Less than 10% of all journalist murders are solved and of these few, most only catch the hitmen not those who order the hit. If law enforcement authorities, government officials and legislators do not do enough to protect journalists or on the contrary seek to kill their stories, then a whole host of journalists stand ready to protect their own, by keeping their stories alive and by making it more costly to kill or silence a journalist" she added.
PN MEP Francis Zammit Dimech also spoke. During his intervention, he thanked Hammer for proposing another initiative in honour of assassinated investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and encouraged the European Commission to provide all the tools and protection necessary to assist investigative journalists in their work.
MEP Zammit Dimech said that within less than a week the Prime Minister, two senior Ministers and the Head of Communications of the Prime Minister have all attacked journalists in one way or another. "Government officials appointed by the government have also continued to vilify Daphne Caruana Galizia. The fact that Malta slipped 18 places in the World Press Freedom Index is thus no surprise when top government officials unleash hatred and intimidation towards journalists."
Zammit Dimech said that the published results go to show that whereas the government boasts of having pushed a reform in media law to strengthen press freedom (while still not accepting an amendment of the opposition to protect journalists against SLAPP) the same actions of the government contradict all the hype and propaganda.