“You cannot call for the national unity you all demolished!”

NGO Statement on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia

We are extremely distressed at the national situation that has led to, permitted or even encouraged the brutal assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Monday’s abominable act was not committed in a social or political vacuum but as a result of the culture of hatred, division, bigotry and opportunism that successive Maltese Governments and Parliaments have fuelled and thrived on.

The concerns we expressed earlier this year (The nation deserves better, and more, from Government and Parliament) are today more urgent and relevant than ever before. Whilst it is imperative to unmask and bring to justice all the perpetrators of Daphne’s assassination, it is just as crucial to unreservedly denounce all other guilty parties, all those whose actions cumulatively took her life and – at the same time – stripped the nation of its sense of freedom, security and well-being.

Every insult uttered and written against her, every attack on her credibility and integrity, every law suit instituted against her, every garnishee order attacking her assets, and every act of bullying and intimidation only served to generate unprecedented volumes of community hatred against one person, one journalist. It is extremely worrying that these volumes of hatred and social divide have been carefully assembled and fortified by the two main political parties, who over decades have successfully fragmented Maltese society with impunity.

aditus has on many occasions deplored the language of hatred used by parliamentarians, public servants and politicians against people who are of different a political belief, gender, colour or sexual orientation. It has also condemned the unacceptable lack of sanctions and accountability that followed such incidences.

The dishing out of public positions, public contracts and public funds to friends, family members and political sympathisers has led to a gradual yet extremely effective weakening of the democratic institutions intended to preserve the rule of law, accountability and transparency. In 2017, crucial pillars of a democratic state, the Malta Police Force and the Judiciary no longer enjoy the respect of the public and autonomy needed to fulfil their roles.

Other monitoring bodies, including the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality have not been provided with the necessary power to keep abuse, cronyism and illegal practices in check.

The above has been acerbated by complacency and an establishment of an educational system that is utterly devoid of active citizenship values, that ignores the value of critical thinking and that seeks conformity as opposed to individuality. By building the environment for such hatred to flourish, and then annihilating the very structures intended to protect us all from acts of hatred, a relatively small group of people have not only thrown Malta into democratic and constitutional chaos but are now complicit in Malta’s most heinous crime.

Finally, we are astounded by the lack of serious collective mourning by all public institutions – including the Office of the President, Ministers, the House of Representatives and the Judiciary – in the face of such a barbaric attack on an individual, on press freedom and on civil society.

The human rights values that aditus foundation promotes and seeks to protect speak of unity, harmony, and mutual understanding despite political, ethnic, gender and other differences. Human rights strengthen people and empower them to become active and fulfilled individuals.

Human rights also bolster communities and nations by providing the social and structural tools necessary to foster safety and security, such as independent and impartial courts of law, inclusive social support systems, equality bodies, effective police forces, and a thriving civil society.

With this spirit, we will be attending the civil society event ĠUSTIZZJA on SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER at 16.00, before the House of Representatives (Valletta), and invite you all to join us.