A free and democratic country should not witness the killing of those who work to tell the truth, European President Antonio Tajani said on Tuesday afternoon.
He was speaking at the EP in Strasbourg, before the unveiling of a portrait of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
“We are here today to honour Daphne’s bravery and recall her life and works,” Tajani said.
“We had called for an international investigation. We have not achieved the outcomes we would have hoped for. The material perpetrators were arrested and that was it. We are talking here about a journalist who was not dealing with petty criminals in her inquiries, but with much more serious things. We wish to know who was behind the killing. In a country that operates with the rule of law, citizens should be entitled to know who commissioned the killing. We hope they will be tracked down in an active and vigorous fashion. I will continue to address this until those who ordered the murder are found.”
Tajani continued: “Daphne Caruana Galizia was a frontline soldier in defence of our values. She stood up for democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression.
The EP President referred to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi in Turkey, adding that the EP wants an international investigation. “Without freedom of the press there is no democracy. Without critical journalism, there is nothing to hold politicians to higher standards.”
“We cannot erase your pain and grief but we will continue to stand by your side,” Tajani told members of the Caruana Galizia family who were present for the unveiling.
The portrait is the work of Danish/Swedish artist Marie Louise Kold, who lives in Sweden and Malta.
The portrait is a donation by the artist to the family and not commissioned by the EP. The family has asked President Tajani to exhibit it in the EP and he has accepted.
The portrait of Daphne Caruana Galizia was created from etched and patinated copper, bronze and brass. The entire process took a total of 470 hours, including research and experiments. While Marie Louise normally uses chemicals to patinate the metals and achieve different colours, in this portrait she filled in the etched areas with printer’s ink from one of the printing presses that used to print Daphne Caruana Galizia’s words.
On Monday, Daphne Caruana Galizia was announced as the winner of Transparency International’s 2018 Anti-Corruption Award, along with Spanish whistleblower and campaigner Ana Garrido Ramos.
The award was picked up by Caruana Galizia’s husband Peter and son Matthew at the 18th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Copenhagen.
Matthew Caruana Galizia said: “The bomb that took Daphne away from us extinguished the most powerful voice we ever had in our country’s fight for integrity. It also sought to rob us of the hope that her unwavering voice represented. Nothing will ever compensate for the journalist – let alone the person – we lost in her fight against corruption. But this award reminds us not only that hope remains ours to keep but that a large part of the world is hoping with us. It is an overwhelming and deeply emboldening thought for everyone fighting to win her justice and uphold her legacy.”