Faroese high court to hear Oyndarfjørður election fraud case

The Faroese High Court will begin hearing a case on Wednesday involving alleged election fraud in Oyndarfjørður during the 2024 municipal elections, state broadcaster KVF reports.

A single ballot in the Oyndarfjørður polling district was initially counted as valid but later invalidated after a recount in Runavík revealed it contained two crosses, disqualifying it from the final tally. The invalidation shifted the balance between two candidates, altering the composition of the Runavík municipal council.

Prosecutors charged one individual with tampering with the election result, but the Faroese Court acquitted the accused in February. The prosecution has since appealed the case to the High Court.

Four of the five Runavík council members had previously challenged the planned re-election in court, securing a ruling to halt it. The Finance Ministry, which oversaw the case, had sought to take the matter to the High Court but was denied, and the re-election was subsequently cancelled.

This is the first election fraud case in the Faroe Islands. No witnesses will be heard during Wednesday’s proceedings. Prosecutors had sought a minimum four-month prison sentence, while the defence requested acquittal or a suspended sentence. The accused was acquitted in the lower court, and the defence now seeks to uphold that verdict.

The prosecution cites Article 116 of the penal code, which carries a penalty of up to six years in prison for obstructing or attempting to obstruct elections or tampering with election results.