Minister says Media Committee members must assess their own eligibility
Wednesday 16th September 2026 on 01:00 in
Iceland
Logi Einarsson, Iceland’s minister of culture, innovation and higher education, says questions about the eligibility of members of the Media Committee are not his responsibility as minister, mbl.is reports. He stressed that members must carefully assess their own eligibility and that public trust in the committee and other important administrative bodies is essential.
Einar Hugi Bjarnason, chair of the Media Committee, is also the lawyer for Gavia Invest, the largest individual shareholder in media company Sýn, with an 18.23 per cent stake.
Bjarnason is currently representing Gavia Invest in a damages case against Heiðar Guðjónsson over Guðjónsson’s sale of his stake in Sýn in 2022. The chair is therefore conducting a case against Sýn’s former chief executive and shareholder.
“I have said that this gives me reason to reiterate that committee members must carefully consider their eligibility. It is very important that there is trust in the work of the Media Committee and other such important administrative bodies,” Logi said, referring among other things to the eligibility provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.
He said the Media Committee was an independent administrative committee and that the eligibility of its members was governed by Act No. 37 of 1993 and Article 10 of the committee’s rules of procedure. Both the law and the rules required members to assess their own eligibility.
Bjarnason has said there is no connection between the damages case and his work for the committee, and that his position as chair does not affect his eligibility to conduct the case.
Guðjónsson sold his entire 12.72 per cent stake in Sýn for nearly 2.2 billion Icelandic krónur in July 2022. Gavia Invest bought the shares, becoming Sýn’s largest shareholder, while Guðjónsson stepped down as the company’s chief executive. Gavia has since increased its stake.
Gavia was established specifically for the purchase of Guðjónsson’s shares. Reynir Grétarsson, Jón Skaftason, Andri Gunnarsson and investors connected to E&S 101 were among those behind the company.