"We must not allow the work of journalists and activists to go unnoticed" Pelin Unker, a Turkish journalist who is currently waiting for the Turkish court to determine whether to sentence her to 13-months in prison for her findings in the Paradise Papers, said today.
Her findings revolved around Former Prime Minister Binali Yildrim and his relatives who have offshore companies in Malta. She was speaking today at a discussion held by Partit Nazzjonalista's Head of Delegation in the European Parliament David Casa, alongside members of the Maltese press and Civil Society representatives to discuss the current issues related to Perlin's case, freedom of speech and the importance of the media.
Last month, MEP Casa travelled to Turkey to meet with Unker and representatives of journalist organisations.
"I have friends and colleagues who are behind bars, and many other journalists who are being threatened. The authorities are trying to silence journalists." She said, adding that her reports, while not being denied, shed a bad light on politicians, "which is now no longer accepted in Turkey."
She said and "that politicians play a fundamental role in ensuring that laws are in place to protect journalists, but they also help when they create pressure for action to counter attacks on journalists and activists." She stressed that the work which journalists and civil society activists conduct should not go unnoticed and that the collaboration between the two, even across borders is necessary.
"Without true media freedom, there can be no democracy" - MEP David Casa
"Without true media freedom, without free press, there can be no democracy", said MEP David Casa. He stressed that local and international journalists are constantly facing increasing pressures by authorities, and that at times some are jailed or even assassinated for speaking out about the truth.
The event held coincides on the day which marks 17 months since Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb a few metres from her home. Unker herself will also be attending the vigil in Valletta this evening. He said that media freedom has now become a serious issue, and that journalists are not being protected by threats of the authorities or leaders who they criticise.
During the discussion, Casa stressed that one of the measures he has been pushing forward is the anti-SLAPP legislation. "We need a change in mentality, where politicians show their respect to the role of media and investigative journalists. If we lose the very basic principles of free speech and free press, the future does not augur well."
Throughout the discussion many shed light that there needs to be a shift in the approach of the treatment of journalists, and that there needs to be not just national laws but also adaption of global laws protecting and promoting the work of journalists.
Some commented that many activists are disheartened to continue taking a stand as day after day the Daphne Caruana Galizia memorial is cleared away. The lack of respect towards the death of an investigative journalist is one of the reasons why many journalists and civil society activists struggle to get their message across, they said.