RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
07/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/02/2026 11:42
Malta: Trial opens for alleged mastermind behind assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, reviving hope for justice
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), present at the trial in Valletta, the capital of Malta, maintains that ending the impunity surrounding the assassination of the Maltese investigative journalist - an emblematic case in Europe - would boost justice for crimes committed against journalists around the world.
Until the day before it opened, it was uncertain whether the trial of Yorgen Fenech, charged with complicity in the 2017 murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, would take place. In a case filed with the Constitutional Court on 25 June 2026, the alleged mastermind of the assassination claimed that his right to a fair trial had been violated. The Constitutional Court decided to examine Fenech's petition, but ultimately rejected his request to suspend the trial.
As a result, this Wednesday, 1 July, the trial opened at Malta's Criminal Court in Valletta in the presence of the accused, the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese and foreign press, and the Director of the RSF Prague Bureau, Pavol Szalai.
"Nearly nine years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, hope has been renewed today that justice will finally be served. This historic trial must expose the truth about the despicable criminal plot and the deadly chain of events that led to the execution of a journalist within the European Union. Ending impunity in this emblematic European case would give a boost to the fight for justice everywhere else in the world.
Pavol Szalai
Director, RSF Prague Bureau
Several individuals have already been convicted and are serving sentences for the assassination of the Maltese investigative journalist, which took place on 16 October 2017. Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio were found guilty in 2022 for installing and detonating the bomb in Daphne Caruana Galizia's vehicle, while the third perpetrator, Vincent Muscat, negotiated a reduced sentence in exchange for information. He was crucial to the 2025 conviction of Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, who supplied the explosives. The middleman in the assassination, Melvin Theuma, received a pardon in exchange for information regarding the alleged mastermind, Yorgen Fenech - an entrepreneur whose businesses were investigated by Daphne Caruana Galizia, and who maintains his innocence.
While awaiting trial, the entrepreneur was released from custody in February 2025 and managed to secure a severe restriction on media coverage of the legal proceedings against him - a decision condemned by RSF and still being challenged before the Constitutional Court.
The investigative journalist regularly exposed the corruption of the Maltese political class on her blog, Running Commentary.
Lacking systemic press freedom reforms, Malta ranks 67th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index.
Published on 01.07.2026
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