The European Court of Human Rights has dismissed a complaint by George and Alfred Degiorgio, who claimed they had been denied a fair trial before admitting to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The brothers were each jailed for 40 years in October 2022 after changing their pleas to guilty on the first day of their trial. They later argued that they had not been given adequate time to prepare their defence or the legal representation of their choosing.Their lawyer of choice had withdrawn from the case in the weeks before the trial, leading the court to appoint two legal aid lawyers to represent them.However, the ECHR found that appointing legal aid lawyers was reasonable in the circumstances, including in the interests of avoiding further delays to the proceedings. It also noted that the brothers had previously had access to the prosecution’s evidence while represented by their lawyer of choice.The European court also found that their guilty pleas had been made voluntarily and could not be considered the result of duress, noting that medical experts had confirmed the brothers understood the implications of their pleas.The decision comes as proceedings surrounding Daphne Caruana Galizia’s 2017 assassination continue. Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025 for their roles in supplying the bomb, while Vince Muscat is serving a 15-year sentence after admitting his involvement.Separately, the Attorney General this week appealed the jury verdict that acquitted Yorgen Fenech earlier this month of complicity in Caruana Galizia’s murder and criminal association.•