Faroese public broadcaster’s freedom of information request to be reconsidered

The Faroese parliament’s ombudsman has called on the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health to reassess its rejection of a freedom of information request from the national broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya, KVF reports.

The request concerned documents related to the resignation of the former director of the national pharmacy. Kringvarp Føroya had argued that certain records were improperly withheld when it sought access under transparency laws. While some internal documents were exempt from public disclosure, the ombudsman found that the ministry had failed to provide additional records listed in the case overview.

After reviewing the matter, the ombudsman concluded that the ministry’s decision was unjustified. The ministry has now been asked to re-examine the request and inform the ombudsman of its final decision.

The case stems from Kringvarp Føroya’s investigation into the abrupt departure of the national pharmacy head, which prompted the broadcaster to file the original freedom of information request.