A recent episode of Kveik, the investigative documentary programme by Iceland’s public broadcaster RÚV, has sparked controversy and led to the temporary removal of its footage online. Börkur Birgisson, who has previously been convicted of serious violent crimes, published a video showing the family of a Kveik interviewee after the episode aired, according to RÚV.
The Kveik episode included an interview with someone who spoke about Börkur Birgisson’s involvement with a residential facility. This interview appears to have prompted Birgisson’s response, as he posted a video online that showed the interviewee’s family.
Aðalheiður Ósk Þorsteinsdóttir, who is the mother of a child at Klettabær, a residential facility, voiced strong criticisms of the episode. She told DV that the programme was heavy, unfair and one-sided, and expressed disappointment over its content. “Then my child was taken and my whole family,” she said, describing the impact on her family after the airing of the episode. (This quote was translated from Icelandic.)
The episode was taken offline temporarily. Vísir reported that Ragnhildur Þrastardóttir, the editor of Kveik, said the programme is on its way back online. She explained they had to update some footage due to technical difficulties.
Background
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
- Vísir in Icelandic
- DV in Icelandic
