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The family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has issued a statement and a letter in response to Maltese minister Michael Farrugia’s publication of their private letter to him. The private letter reminded the minister of his legal responsibilities related to the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. In the statement, the family says: “We were dismayed to see that the Minister of Home Affairs and National Security, Michael Farrugia, published our letter to him accompanied by a media statement. This was a private letter from the widower and sons of an assassination victim to their country’s minister who is responsible for the police and, ultimately, the assassination investigation.”

Index on Censorship condemns the minister’s actions.  “This is a deeply discouraging development, said Joy Hyvarinen, head of advocacy at Index on Censorship. The Maltese authorities should be focusing on investigating the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia, rather than engaging in a public fight with the grieving family.”

Response by assassination victim’s widower and sons to minister of home affairs and national security Michael Farrugia

“We were dismayed to see that the Minister of Home Affairs and National Security, Michael Farrugia, published our letter to him accompanied by a media statement. This was a private letter from the widower and sons of an assassination victim to their country’s minister who is responsible for the police and, ultimately, the assassination investigation.

“It is inappropriate and irregular that the Maltese government publishes a private letter from citizens to the Minister responsible for their security, more so to send it to every media outlet in the country with an accompanying media statement. And it is inappropriate and irregular for the same Minister Michael Farrugia to ‘Tweet’ that statement and to have the Prime Minister re-Tweet it.

“We have responded in writing to Minister Michael Farrugia’s actions. As the widower and orphaned sons of an assassination victim killed on his watch, as private citizens, we would have preferred to deal privately with the concerns we have raised.  As we now cannot be sure Minister Michael Farrugia will respect protocol and dignity and obligations of his office and not release our latest letter to him to the media, we have been constrained to do so ourselves, accompanied by our own statement.”

Family’s letter to Farrugia

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