Icelandic Chief Prosecutor criticizes Minister of Justice’s decision regarding Deputy Chief Prosecutor

The Icelandic Chief Prosecutor has labeled the Minister of Justice’s recent decision regarding the Deputy Chief Prosecutor as illogical. According to Sigríður Friðjónsdóttir, the minister should have tasked a panel of experts with evaluating whether to grant a definitive leave of absence to the Deputy Chief Prosecutor.

In a statement, Sigríður expressed her agreement with legal scholars who argue that the minister’s outcome is not compliant with the law. This response comes after Róbert Spanó, a former president of the European Court of Human Rights, publicly questioned the minister’s decision not to provide the Deputy Chief Prosecutor with a temporary leave.

Sigríður stated that the Minister of Justice has acknowledged all substantive points related to a reprimand issued to the Deputy Chief Prosecutor two years ago, as well as more recent comments he made concerning Middle Eastern immigrants. She emphasized that had the minister granted a temporary leave, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s case would have been examined by a committee of specialists, which would then have informed whether to grant him leave or allow him to resume his duties.

“This careful process never took place due to the minister’s decision,” Sigríður noted. Furthermore, she pointed out that the core issue often gets overlooked: the Deputy Chief Prosecutor’s position imposes significant restrictions on his freedom of expression due to the necessity for independence and neutrality within the prosecutorial authority.