Daphne Caruana Galizia

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Daphne Caruana Galizia (born August 26, 1964 as Daphne Anne Vella in Sliema , † October 16, 2017 in Bidnija ) was a Maltese journalist and blogger . She was known for her investigative work and for disclosing controversial and sensitive information. In October 2017, she was assassinated with a bomb placed in or on her car .

In November 2019, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri , the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, resigned; Economy Minister Chris Cardona announced that he is leaving his office. Previously, evidence had become known that a person from government circles had commissioned the attack.

On December 1, 2019, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced his resignation. He will stay in office until his party elects a new chairman in January 2020.

Life

Daphne Anne was born in Sliema in 1964 to Michael Alfred Vella and Rose Marie Mamo. She attended the School of St. Dorothy's Monastery in Mdina and St. Aloysius College in Birkirkara and graduated in 1997 from the University of Malta with a BA (Hons.) In Archeology . In 1985 she married Peter Caruana Galizia; the couple had three sons. The family lives in Bidnija, a small village that belongs to Mosta .

activities

In 1987 Caruana began to work as a journalist. She wrote for various newspapers, including a. for the Malta Independent . In the early 1990s she wrote a regular column in the Sunday Times and was co-editor of the Malta Independent. She also became the editor of Taste & Flair magazine . She also wrote a blog called Running Commentary, which contains results of investigative journalism and comments on personalities, some of which were viewed by her opponents as personal attacks. Her blog was one of the most read in Malta. It went back online in 2018.

Daphne Caruana's controversial posts on her blog have sparked multiple litigation. In 2010 she raised allegations there against the examining magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera , from whom she was charged in return for defamation. In November 2011, Caruana was acquitted of this charge. The judge had previously offered to withdraw her criminal complaint if Caruana admitted that she had not adequately investigated the damaging accusations, which she refused. After Daphne Caruana's murder, her family made an urgent appeal to the Maltese judiciary not to leave the preliminary investigation of the case to the rotating examining magistrate Scerri Herrera, because she had clashed with her too often.

On March 8, 2013, Caruana Galizia was arrested for violating the political "truce" the day before the 2013 parliamentary elections. She had published documents incriminating the then opposition leader Joseph Muscat ( Labor Party ). She was questioned by the police and released after a few hours.

Arabic spring

Caruana Galizia was a determined opponent of the totalitarian regimes in the Arab world. When protests against the Gaddafi regime broke out in nearby Libya in February 2011 , she organized demonstrations in front of the Libyan embassy. She also criticized the left EDEK party from Cyprus , which accused her of glossing over the situation in Libya and maintaining good relations with the regime there. The people involved, she said, had known long before the first demonstrations that human rights were being trampled on in Libya. After Gaddafi was killed by a mob of insurgents in October 2011, she wrote that Assad was also overdue.

Panama Papers

Caruana Galizia was the Maltese partner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in the evaluation of the Panama Papers . In 2016, Daphne Caruana was the first to uncover Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri's involvement in the Panama Papers scandal. As a result, it was included in the “POLITICO 28” ranking by Politico magazine , which lists the 28 people who “shape, shake up and touch” Europe the most. The magazine described her as a “one-woman WikiLeaks ” and certified that she was leading a “crusade against opacity and corruption”.

In 2017, Daphne Caruana wrote that the Panamanian company Egrant involved in the scandal belongs to Michelle Muscat , the wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. These allegations resulted in Muscat ordering early general elections in June 2017, with the result that its Labor Party remained in government. After the election, Caruana Galizia also showed herself to be a tough critic of the Maltese Nationalist Party under opposition leader Adrian Delia .

death

Caruana Galizia was killed on October 16, 2017 with a bomb in or on the automobile she was using. Shortly after driving from her apartment in Bidnija, her rented Peugeot 108 exploded . The force of the explosion threw the car over a wall onto an adjacent field. Caruana Galizia had filed several criminal charges for death threats, most recently two weeks before her death. The perpetrator or perpetrators are still unknown.

Reactions

Memorial to Daphne Galizia in Valletta in October 2017

The attack was condemned by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who, despite her criticism of him, declared that he would "not rest until justice is done". President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca , Archbishop Charles Scicluna and a number of politicians condemned and condemned the murder. Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said during a funeral march in the city of Sliema that "Malta has lost a journalist of extraordinary courage who made her point in difficult moments, despite being aware of the risks". Andrew Borg-Cardona of the Green Party accused the Maltese government of failing to offer the journalist personal protection despite the threat of death. Her son Matthew, who is a member of the international investigative journalists' association ICIJ and who witnessed the assassination attempt on his mother from a short distance, cited her courageous action against breaking the law and the fact that she was alone with it as the main reason for her murder.

There were also malicious reactions. A police officer who celebrated Galizia's death on his Facebook page has been suspended from duty.

On October 22, 2017, thousands of people demonstrated for justice in the capital, Valletta, demanding a quick clarification of the case and an end to corruption in politics and authorities. Politicians, trade unionists and President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca attended, but Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not . Galizia had accused the prime minister of running mailbox companies. The organization Reporters Without Borders was also represented at the rally; their director Christophe Deloire said: “The murderers wanted to silence them, they want to silence us. But they won't be silent for a minute ”.

The EU Commission reacted to the attack with horror. President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Commission condemned the attack "with the sharpest possible words," said a spokesman in Brussels.

funeral

On November 3, 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia was buried in the city of Mosta. At the request of the family, representatives from the government of Malta were absent. Hundreds of people attended the memorial service, including the Italian EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani ( Forza Italia ). The funeral service was held by the Archbishop of Malta , Charles Scicluna . He said the killers "would never escape the righteousness of God," and called on all other journalists to fearlessly investigate the truth. Literally he said: “Dear journalists, we need you. We need people in your profession who are independent, who are free, intelligent, inquisitive, honest, calm, safe and protected. ”The sons of the murdered journalist carried the coffin out of the church.

Investigations and arrests

First investigation

The FBI and a forensic team from the Netherlands are helping the Maltese authorities solve the murder. The Maltese government offered a million euro reward for clues about the perpetrators, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange offered 20,000 euros for clues about the masterminds of the murder. The FBI, Europol and Finnish security authorities were involved in the investigation .

The former bank clerk Maria Efimova, who is considered to be a Galizia informant, was put out to search by the Maltese authorities for alleged embezzlement of 2,000 euros. After threats, the Russian fled to Crete and finally asked the police in Athens for protection, but was arrested in March 2018 because of the Maltese arrest warrant.

Half a year after the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, over 250 writers criticized the sluggish investigation of the crime. In an open letter from the authors' association PEN , which was addressed to the EU Commission, among others, the writers complained that the investigations did not meet the international requirements of "independence, impartiality and effectiveness". The government and the authorities would do nothing against the regular "destruction" of the memorial for the journalist in the capital Valletta. The letter's signatories included Margaret Atwood , Salman Rushdie , Yann Martel , Ian McEwan , Ilija Trojanow, and Elif Shafak . Vigils for Galizia were held in various cities in Europe.

In July 2020, a key witness to the trial was found with "severe stab wounds to the neck and trunk" and taken to hospital.

Arrests

On December 4, 2017, the Maltese police arrested ten suspects in multiple locations; three men were charged with murder. You should belong to the organized crime. Apparently, the alleged assassins had been warned. The arrested suspects had apparently already expected the officers; they had telephone numbers written on their forearms in felt-tip pens. The Maltese authorities later admitted that the suspects had “been warned that day”.

Journalists from the Daphne project expressed doubts about the seriousness of the investigation. The Maltese investigators had initially not followed up on indications of relationships between the suspects and the Maltese Minister of Economic Affairs Christian Cardona .

At the end of April 2018, a reporter authorized by the family of the murder victim handed over two notebooks and three hard drives to the German Federal Criminal Police Office . According to Zeit, the collected research and the correspondence of Caruana Galizia are on these . The family did not want to entrust this sensitive data to the Maltese authorities.

In June 2018, Maltese Deputy Police Chief Silvio Valletta was withdrawn from the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia due to possible conflicts of interest. Valletta is the husband of Justyne Caruana , a minister in the Muscat III cabinet . He is also a member of the national anti-money laundering authority. Galizia's family applied for bias to the Constitutional Court of Malta . The court also ordered that Silvio Valletta's successor must review his investigations.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat confirmed the arrest of a man and a Times of Malta report on November 19, 2019 . He promised the man impunity if he cooperated with the judiciary and provided information that led to the perpetrators of the murder. On the morning of November 20, prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech was arrested on his luxury yacht off the coast of Malta shortly after the ship left Portomaso . The chief of staff of Prime Minister Muscat, Keith Schembri, had apparently warned Fenech, who then tried to flee. Yorgen Fenech heads an energy consortium that holds a government concession to supply Malta's energy supply. Fenech also became public through research as the owner of the Dubai-registered company "17 Black", about whose involvement with Maltese politicians Galizia had reported. Keith Schembri, who had resigned the day before, was temporarily arrested on November 25, but released two days later.

On November 30, 2019, Fenech was charged with complicity in the murder and membership of a criminal organization.

Investigation Commission 2019/2020

On September 20, 2019, the government of Malta ordered an investigation into whether the crime could have been prevented. A judge presides over the investigative commission. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has instructed the commission of inquiry to submit a report within nine months.

Daphne project

The Internet platform Forbidden Stories (German: Forbidden Stories), which acts as a network of journalists , took up Galizia's research with the Daphne project and continues it (as of April 2018). The 45 journalists involved are from 15 countries; including journalists from Süddeutsche Zeitung, Radio France, La Republica, the Guardian , der Zeit , Reuters, France 2, The Times of Malta , Le Monde, The New York Times , WDR / NDR, Tages-Anzeiger , Freelance, and Journalism Columbia University School , Direkt 36 and other prestigious international media. By continuing Galizia's work, Forbidden Stories also wants to put pressure on the authorities to investigate the murder.

literature

  • Joseph A. Debono , Caroline Muscat : Invicta: The Life and Work of Daphne Caruana Galizia . ( German : The undefeated: The life and work of Daphne Caruana Galizia. ). The Pertinent Press, Oxford 2017, ISBN 978-1-912142-13-2 (English).
  • Joseph A. Debono, Caroline Muscat: Uccisa In Nome Della Verità: Vita e attività di Daphne Caruana Galizia . (German: killed in the name of truth: life and work of Daphne Caruana Galizia. ). The Pertinent Press, Oxford 2017, ISBN 978-1-912142-18-7 (Italian).

Web links

Commons : Daphne Caruana Galizia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ zeit.de November 28, 2019: perpetrators are said to have received 150,000 euros from government circles
  2. ↑ FAZ.net: Malta's Prime Minister announces resignation for January
  3. ↑ a b c Arrested at 9.30pm for posting three videos mocking Joseph Muscat at 7.30pm: THE GOLDEN YEARS OF LABOR + POLICE HELL . In: Running Commentary , March 9, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. 
  4. ↑ a b c Michael J. Schiavone: Dictionary of Maltese Biographies Vol. 1 AF . Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza, Pietà 2009, ISBN 9789993291329 , pp. 503-504.
  5. ↑ a b c Daphne Caruana Galizia ... Malta's most controversial journalist . In: Times of Malta , October 16, 2017. 
  6. ^ S. Works of Galizia
  7. ↑ Columnist cleared of harassing magistrate. In: Times of Malta , November 25, 2011, accessed October 18, 2017.
  8. ^ Caruana Galizia family want Scerri Herrera out of murder investigation. In: Times of Malta, October 16, 2017, accessed October 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ Caruana Galizia questioned by police for breaching 'political silence' . In: Times of Malta , March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. 
  10. ^ Protest today outside Libyan embassy , Running Commentary, February 21, 2011.
  11. ^ First Malta, Turkey and Greece. And now Cyprus , Running Commentary, February 14, 2011.
  12. ↑ Gaddafi is dead. And AST is redundant. , Running Commentary, October 23, 2011.
  13. ^ Daphne Caruana Galizia named by 'Politico' as among 28 people 'shaping Europe' . In: The Malta Independent , December 7, 2016. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. 
  14. ↑ Daphne Caruana Galizia . In: Politico . Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. 
  15. ^ Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia murdered in Bidnija car bomb . In: Malta Today , October 16, 2017. 
  16. ^ A b Daphne Caruana Galizia killed in Bidnija car blast . In: Times of Malta , October 16, 2017. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. 
  17. ^ Death of a Maltese journalist: With extraordinary courage , Taz , October 17, 2017.
  18. ↑ Murdered Panama Papers journalist's son attacks Malta's 'crooks' , The Guardian , October 17, 2017.
  19. ↑ Caruana Galizia son hits out strongly after his mother's murder, describes the scene. In: Times of Malta, October 17, 2017, accessed October 18, 2017.
  20. ↑ Police sergeant suspended after Facebook comments celebrating Caruana Galizia murder , Times of Malta , October 17, 2017.
  21. ^ Large demonstration in Malta after the murder of journalist orf.at, October 22, 2017, accessed October 22, 2017.
  22. ↑ a b c tagesschau.de: Journalist in Malta: "That was a political murder". Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
  23. ↑ Murdered journalist buried in Malta. Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
  24. ↑ Dutch police assisting in Caruana Galizia murder investigation, FBI in Malta on Thursday , Malta Today, October 17, 2017.
  25. ↑ a b sda / spic; widb: SRF News: Death by car bomb - Ten arrests after the murder of a Maltese journalist . In: Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) . ( srf.ch [accessed December 5, 2017]).
  26. ↑ Andrea Spalinger: "Malta tries to silence whistleblowers" Neue Zürcher Zeitung of March 21, 2018
  27. ↑ PEN calls for justice for Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia The Guardian, April 16, 2018
  28. ↑ Key witness seriously injured. Reporters Without Borders , July 22, 2020, accessed on July 25, 2020 (German).
  29. ↑ spiegel.de: Three men charged with murder
  30. ^ A b Daphne Caruana Galizia: Laptops of the murdered Maltese journalist at the BKA . In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed on June 26, 2018]).
  31. ↑ a b c Investigator in the Daphne Caruana Galizia case must be recalled . In: sueddeutsche.de . June 12, 2018, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed June 25, 2018]).
  32. ↑ tagesschau.de: Caruana Galizia murder case: What is the laptop hiding? Accessed June 25, 2018 (German).
  33. ↑ spiegel.de November 19, 2019: Another arrest after the murder of a journalist in Malta
  34. ↑ a b "Malta journalist murder: Businessman arrested on yacht over killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia" The Independent.co.uk of November 20, 2019
  35. ↑ a b "" Mafia! "-" Corruption! "-" Shame! "" Sueddeutsche Zeitung of November 28, 2019
  36. ↑ Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung : Investigations into murder of journalist shake Malta's government , November 29, 2019.
  37. ↑ FAZ.net November 30, 2019: Indictment against possible backers in Malta
  38. ↑ Murder of a journalist: Malta orders investigation to orf.at, September 20, 2019, accessed September 21, 2019.
  39. ↑ Marvin Schade: The Daphne Project. Reporters from 15 countries continue mafia research on murdered journalist, Meedia website of April 17, 2018, accessed on April 21, 2018.
  40. ^ Website of the Daphne project at Forbidden Stories , accessed on April 21, 2018.
  41. ↑ Invicta: The Life and Work of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Book at the publisher. thepertinentpress.co.uk, accessed October 16, 2019 .
  42. ↑ Uccisa In Nome Della Verità. Website for the book from the publisher. thepertinentpress.co.uk, accessed October 16, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Caruana Galizia, Daphne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Caruana Galizia, Daphne Anne (full name); Vella, Daphne Anne (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Maltese journalist and blogger
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1964
PLACE OF BIRTH Sliema
DATE OF DEATH 16th October 2017
Place of death Bidnija