The bureau of the European Parliament has approved a proposal for the creation of a prize for investigative journalism to be named after the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was assassinated on October 16, 2017.
Ms Caruana Galizia had written extensively about corruption, money laundering, organised crime, sale of citizenships and the Panama Papers with links to the Maltese government. Due to her work, she was subjected to harassment and threats and was sued.
Three individuals had been initially arrested for the murder, and their trial is ongoing. But all those who bore responsibility for the murder had to be brought to justice, including the individuals who ordered the killing.
On November 15, 2017, less than a month after the murder, the European Parliament plenary approved a resolution calling for the creation of a “European Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for investigative journalism”. However, it was only on Monday evening that the bureau approved the proposal to have the prize created.
European Parliament vice-president Heidi Hautala and MEP David Casa hailed the creation of the prize.
They said: “Daphne Caruana Galizia was a first class investigative journalist. She was courageous and fearless. She was assassinated because of her investigative work. She is an inspiration. Daphne must never be forgotten. The risks to investigative journalists are great and are on the increase. We must strive to ensure that they are allowed to work free from fear or favour. It is our hope that this prize will inspire others to be brave, resilient and uncompromising in their search for truth - just like Daphne”.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia prize, which follows the EP’s decision to name the Press Room in Strasbourg in memory of Ms Caruana Galizia, aims to honour European investigative journalists for their work and promote media freedom and freedom of expression.
Ms Hautala said that too many democracies in Europe suffered from democratic erosion with states capturing institutions which ought to be independent.
“Only by supporting freedom of expression and by protecting those who defend freedom of expression, will the democratic backsliding and state capture be reversed… Without the courage of people like Daphne Caruana Galizia, much of the corruption will go unreported. Without her, many wrongdoings would have festered with impunity. She stood up for what is right, against the rule of might."
MEP Casa said that in the past weeks he constantly put pressure to ensure that what Parliament voted for in the aftermath of Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder was implemented.
He said the latest revelations on the assassination, implicating the Office of the Prime Minister, were shocking.
Ms Hautala and Mr Casa now have to define the rules of the ‘Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Investigative Journalism’, which will then be approved by the bureau.