Former MP seeks damages over alleged surveillance

Former MP Vilhjálmur Bjarnason is seeking compensation from investor Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson and lawyer and investor Birgir Már Ragnarsson over alleged surveillance, mbl.is reports.

Vilhjálmur is asking each defendant to pay him 66 million Icelandic krónur, plus interest and legal costs. A preliminary hearing is scheduled at Reykjavik District Court on November 18.

He says the defendants caused an unlawful and culpable violation of his privacy through organised, secret actions. Vilhjálmur learned in an April 2025 episode of the television programme Kveik that he had allegedly been monitored systematically. His claim says Björgólfur and Birgir Már engaged the company PPP to carry out the surveillance.

The defendants appear to acknowledge that Björgólfur requested an investigation in 2012 and that Birgir Már acted as an intermediary with PPP. They dispute, however, that the company’s actions had the consequences Vilhjálmur describes.

In their legal response, Björgólfur and Birgir Már say the investigation was prompted by allegations that Vilhjálmur, at the direction of Robert Wessman, took part in stealing confidential documents, a smear campaign against Björgólfur and a deception to recruit participants for a group lawsuit against him. The response says Björgólfur was entitled to expose what it calls that deception under Iceland’s constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jóhannes Karl Sveinsson represents Vilhjálmur. Reimar Snæfells Pétursson is representing Björgólfur and Birgir Már.