In a decision that has sent shockwaves through Malta and beyond, a court in Valletta on Wednesday acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of orchestrating the 2017 car-bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The ruling, delivered after a lengthy trial, has been met with fury from her family, press freedom organisations, and political figures across Europe.
Caruana Galizia, 53, was killed on 16 October 2017 when a bomb exploded in her car near her home in Bidnija. Known for her relentless exposes of corruption among Malta's political and business elite, she had been dubbed a "one-woman WikiLeaks" for her ability to uncover murky dealings that reached the highest levels of power.
Her son Matthew Caruana Galizia called the verdict "a terrible decision... that our country may never recover from." In a statement, the family said the acquittal was "denying her the justice she deserves," and added: "Accountability is now overdue for all those who enabled, facilitated, or protected her murderers."
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) said the verdict sent "a disturbing message to those who attack and kill journalists." Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was "beyond outraged," noting that "almost nine years since the assassination, the Maltese authorities have failed to identify and convict the mastermind."
A murder that shook the EU
The assassination put Malta, the European Union's smallest member state, under an uncomfortable spotlight over its rule-of-law record. It triggered unprecedented street protests and ultimately brought down the government of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who resigned in January 2020 amid allegations that he had shielded allies from the investigation.
A public inquiry concluded in July 2021 that the state should "shoulder responsibility" for the murder, citing an "atmosphere of impunity" that had been allowed to develop. The three-judge panel's 437-page report found "convincing evidence" that the killers believed they would be protected by "persons in the highest state positions."
Fenech, whose business interests spanned energy and tourism, was arrested in November 2019 on his yacht as he attempted to leave Maltese waters. His arrest came after a middleman in the murder plot was offered a pardon in exchange for implicating those involved. Prosecutors alleged that Fenech ordered the killing because Caruana Galizia was about to publish an article damaging to his uncle.
While five individuals have been convicted for their roles in the murder—including the three men who carried out the bombing and two who supplied the explosives—the acquittal of the alleged mastermind has left a bitter taste. In June 2025, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison for supplying the bomb, while brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat are serving sentences for their part in the killing.
The family's statement on Tuesday lamented that "nine years after Daphne's brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed." They called for urgent implementation of measures to protect journalists and media freedom in Malta.
The verdict also raises broader questions about the rule of law in the EU, particularly in the context of recent EU debates over sanctions and maritime bans where Malta has often been seen as a laggard. For many observers, the case has become a test of whether the bloc can hold its members to account on fundamental values.
As the news spread, protests were held outside the courthouse in Valletta, with demonstrators holding photos of Caruana Galizia and banners reading "Justice for Daphne." The European Parliament has previously called for a thorough investigation into the murder, and several MEPs have expressed dismay at the outcome.
In a statement, the family vowed to continue their fight: "We will not rest until those responsible, including those who ordered and protected the killers, are brought to justice." The acquittal, they said, is not the end of the story but a new chapter in a long struggle for truth in a country that has yet to fully confront its demons.
