Journalists in danger of reprisals for holding criminals accountable, Casa warns

Addressing the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, MEP and PN Head of Delegation David Casa warned that the conditions for violence against journalists and activists was very much present in the context of the erosion of the rule of law and the European Union’s failure to act decisively.

“Violence against journalists is no accident. When someone believes they can kill a journalist with impunity, it means criminals have faith in a corrupt system that guarantees their impunity. That system is still unaddressed,” Casa cautioned.

Speaking in a debate commemorating the late Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak, Casa’s intervention follows an uptick in intimidating tactics in Malta that echo similar harassment suffered by Daphne Caruana Galizia in the lead up to her assassination. Kuciak was murdered alongside his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, in a case that shocked Slovakia and underscored the deadly risks faced by investigative journalists.

Casa emphasized that such crimes are not isolated incidents but rather symptoms of a deeper systemic failure. That failure continued as Yorgen Fenech was released on bail while Robert Abela pledged to weaken access to justice and consolidate his government’s hold on corruption investigations.

“Those who tell the truth are left alone, not just without the protection of the state, but even with the machinery of government working against them.”

Casa has already slammed the Maltese Government for threatening to crack down on access to justice, echoing concerns from civil society that it would entrench impunity even further by eliminating the last effective measure against public corruption.

On the EU’s lacklustre response, Casa charged that “it is not enough for the Commission to express shock and observe developments in silence. Our electorate expects concrete action to uphold the rule of law. Dangerous conditions persist, and without intervention, we risk another tragedy.”

“The rule of law is fundamental, and it is time for it to be given the necessary priority with all the tools at the Commission’s disposal,” the MEP concluded.