Former Statesman Accused Of Sex Offences Threatens To Sue Public Broadcasting

Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, a former Foreign Minister, social democrat MP and ambassador, and his wife Bryndís Schram have threatened to sue Icelandic public broadcasting service RÚV if they do not retract a lot of their recent reporting on him, Morgunblaðið reports.

Jón Baldvin has been accused of sexual harassment by four different women, including numerous others who have recounted stories about him in a closed Facebook group.

In an open letter the couple penned, they accuse RÚV of having reported “baseless accusations, misleading statements and libel” about him. They are calling upon Magnús Geir Þórðarsson, the director of RÚV, to withdraw the greater part of their coverage on the subject.

If RÚV does not comply, they say they will take him and relevant employees to court in order to have all of this reporting legally established as meaningless. In addition, they will also seek monetary damages.

Amongst the reporting the couple take issue with concerns Aldís Schram, a daughter of Jón Baldvin, who has made very candid contentions that her father tried to silence her by having her committed to a mental hospital. Jón Baldvin has denied her assertions, saying they are false, while calling into question her mental health.

The couple have given RÚV’s director seven days to apologise and retract their reporting on this coverage. They contend it is not only Jón Baldvin but also many members of their family who have endured pain and suffering on account of this reporting.