Nationalist leader Simon Busuttil laid a wreath on the grave of Raymond Caruana at Gudja cemetery yesterday, saying the PN would always defend freedom of expression and association.
Dr Busuttil led a group of PN officials and supporters in a short ceremony marking the 30th anniversary since Caruana was shot dead when machine-gun bullets were sprayed at the Gudja PN club.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat laid flowers on the grave last Friday in a first by a Labour leader.
Dr Busuttil said freedom of expression and association still needed to be safeguarded today, even if threats against them had taken a different form than they were 30 years ago.
Such freedoms were safeguarded when the independent media was defended, when the courts meted out justice and when the police weeded out those who committed wrongdoing, he said.
Yesterday's commemoration included Mass and an activity in front of the PN club where the events of 1986 were recalled.