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grapevine

The lawyer for an asylum seeker who was recently deported in the midst of controversy has submitted seven charges against Minister of the Interior Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir to the police, including breach of confidentiality and slander.
DV reports that Stefán Karl Kristjánsson, the lawyer of Nigerian asylum seeker Tony Omos, sent the charges to the police shortly before Christmas, but the police have not yet decided if they will investigate the matter.
Hanna Birna, her ministry, or both are accused of breaking Articles 30, 136, 139, 229, 230, 234 and 235 of the Icelandic Penal Code. These articles pertain to breach of confidentiality, abuse of public office, and slander.
As reported, a document was issued last November from the ministry to selected members of the press contending that Nigerian asylum seeker Tony Omos – who was facing deportation and in hiding from police at the time – was connected to a human trafficking case earlier this summer, and that he is not actually the father of his girlfriend Evelyn Glory Joseph’s expected child. The document contended furthermore that Evelyn was pressured by Tony to say he is the child’s father.
None of these accusations proved to be true – in fact, Stefán told reporters at the time, “My client was investigated, denied the charges against him, and within the documents it shows that the investigation was dropped.” Evelyn also insisted to reporters that Tony was indeed the father of her child, who is expected to be born this month, and offered to submit to a paternity test to prove it.
Since then, Hanna Birna has been evasive with reporters and lawyers alike, while implying in parliament that other parties – such as the police or the Red Cross – could have been responsible for the leak, even though all evidence points to her ministry.
The ministry has also decided to continue the practice of not responding to the press, as they have sent a statement to the press that they will not be answering any more questions about Tony Omos nor the charges against the minister and her ministry.
Below, you can see a video from DV of reporters asking Hanna Birna if she wants to comment on the charges, or if she intends to resign as a result of them. Her response was an unequivocal “No.”