“Daphne Caruana Galizia would have been 55 years old today and would still have had a brilliant career ahead of her. Instead, we are here today to pay tribute to her because her commitment and dedication as a journalist meant she was taken away too soon.
This week marks two years since the brutal murder of the investigative journalist from Malta. At this moment it is sad but necessary to remember the importance of freedom of expression and the press in democratic countries like ours.
It is worrying to think that in the 21st century there is still a need for warnings to defend the rights and freedoms of citizens: these are the foundation of our European values and must be recognised and fought for on a daily basis.
Being killed for doing your job is never acceptable and it is gruesome to think that, according to data released on World Press Freedom Day, 95 journalists died in 2018 alone. Furthermore, only one country in four is recognised as ‘free’ by the World Press Freedom Index, despite freedom of the press being the cornerstone of our democratic system.
We want to encourage and support the work of the judiciary and the Maltese authorities in attempting to shed light on the brutal murder of Daphne and bring those responsible to justice.
I want to express my personal support to all those courageous journalists, men and women who, like Daphne, are forced to sacrifice something in their lives, if not life itself, in search of the most precious possession in our democracies: the truth. The European Parliament must be the guardian of the values of Daphne Caruana Galizia”
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