Ester Mbathera
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has signed a petition calling for the Icelandic fishing giant Samherji to drop its punitive legal action against an Icelandic visual artist.
The IPPR’s executive director, Graham Hopwood on Thursday criticised Samherji’s actions of pursuing legal cases against Oddur Eysteinn Friðriksson, who goes by the artist name ODEE.
The case, being heard in the High Court in London on 25 and 26 September 2024, is expected to cost ODEE legal fees of over £500,000 (N$11.5 million).
“Samherji should focus their minds on paying damages to Namibia for the harm caused by the Fishrot corruption scandal, including compensating workers who lost their jobs instead of persecuting an artist in the UK courts,” said Hopwood.
The IPPR is working with Transparency International in Iceland to campaign for Samherji to make a settlement offer to the fishermen who lost their jobs as a result of the fishing company’s actions in Namibia.
The artwork “We’re SORRY,” which ODEE created as an apology for Samherji’s alleged role in the Fishrot scandal, is the subject of a lawsuit.
The artwork is running on a website titled Samherji.co.uk based on the design of the fishing company’s corporate identity.
He explained that We’re SORRY is more than just an artwork, describing it as a conceptual and performative piece that highlights the need for an apology.
Samherji now wants the High Court of London to force the artist to take his artwork down.
The court agreed to give Samherji an interim injunction to temporarily remove the website, which is currently inactive.
More than 25 leading whistleblowing and free expression organisations signed the petition against Samherji.
ODEE has created a series of works that shed light on alleged corruption by Samherji in Namibia.
“The organisations stand by ODEE and his artistic freedom of expression, which allows us to consider and examine moral and ethical choices, as well as how power works and affects us, whether it is political, social, or economic,” reads a letter of support issued by the organisations.
The organisation further argues that their action to ensure that whistleblowers can disclose information about wrongdoing in the public interest is vital for democratic accountability.
“Freedom of expression links whistleblowers and artists – individuals must be protected from the powerful who wish to stop them speaking up. Jóhannes Stefansson and ODEE deserve our support. In today’s world, where we face existential challenges to protect our natural resources, environment and climate systems, we can ill afford to let these voices be silenced,” reads the letter.
