Former US Ambassador to Malta Douglas Kmiec has expressed his sadness at the “appalling murder” of Daphne Caruana Galizia, saying that Malta’s liberty “has been lessened by the brutal silencing of Daphne’s voice”.

Prof. Kmiec, a professor of Constitutional Law at Pepperdine University School of Law in California, told The Sunday Times of Malta: “The appalling murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is tragic, and more, deeply troubling to the extent it reveals a once proud and uncommonly kind nation that has allowed its integrity and high standard to be auctioned to the corruption of the highest bid.”

He said that while Ms Caruana Galizia’s writing style was not always his favourite, “her attachment to journalistic freedom signified her profound and courageous grasp of the teaching of our first US diplomat, Ben Franklin, who observed that ‘whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech’.”

Prof. Kmiec added: “Malta’s liberty has been lessened by the brutal silencing of Daphne’s voice. May she rest in the peace of Our Lord, and may we never rest in defence of the principle for which she gave her life.”

Prof. Kmiec was US Ambassador to Malta from 2009 to 2011.

The US State Department has also condemned the killing of Ms Caruana Galiza. In a press conference, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the United States condemned the “appalling violence that took place against her in the strongest terms”, calling it a “cowardly attack” against a reporter who was dedicated to fighting corruption.