Berlin – More than 1000 Namibian fisheries workers have been supported by Transparency International to submit formal claims to Icelandic prosecutors in a landmark legal effort that could influence how victims of corruption are recognised and included in judicial proceedings in Iceland and beyond.

The workers are asking Icelandic authorities to recognise them as victims and include them in long-awaited criminal proceedings relating to Samherji, one of Europe’s largest fisheries companies. Samherji is at the heart of the Fishrot scandal, first reported in 2019, which implicates the company in the bribery of government officials in Angola and Namibia in exchange for fishing quota rights. The company denied wrongdoing.

If accepted, the claims would represent a groundbreaking development by allowing foreign victims of alleged corruption to become formally involved in criminal proceedings in Iceland, which could also set a precedent for similar cases beyond Iceland.

At the heart of the claims is a far-reaching question: Are workers who lose their jobs as a direct result of corruption recognised as victims under Icelandic law?

The Namibian former-fisheries workers are arguing they suffered direct harm from Samherji’s alleged corrupt conduct in Namibia from 2012 to 2019. Thousands of local fishermen and other fisheries workers reportedly lost their jobs following the scandal. The workers also allege that their loss of employment led to a range of additional harms such as food and housing insecurity, psychological stress, inability to pay school fees and debt accumulation. Their claims highlight how corruption-related crimes can extend beyond financial loss, with direct social and human consequences for affected communities.

Alison Matthews, Legal and Advocacy Advisor at Transparency International, said:

“The Fishrot scandal caused severe harm to workers and communities in Namibia. By supporting these claims in Iceland, we are making the human cost of corruption impossible to ignore. We’re also helping ensure these workers – the people on the ground who lost their livelihoods and more – have their day in court and the opportunity to seek remedies, including formal acknowledgement of the harm they suffered and financial compensation.”

Transparency International is calling for:

• Formal recognition of affected Namibian fisheries workers as victims of corruption and acceptance of their claims, in line with Iceland’s obligations under Article 35 of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), should Icelandic authorities commence such proceedings.

• Consideration of the full extent of harm in such proceedings, including loss of income and livelihoods and impacts on housing, food security, and education, when assessing the harms caused by any illegal conduct.

• Provision of appropriate remedies for victims of the Fishrot scandal, should there be a conviction, including financial compensation, and formal acknowledgement of harm and an apology from those found guilty.

• Accountability for any corrupt acts and harms caused by the Fishrot scandal, including compliance with Iceland’s obligations to punish foreign bribery under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. Transparency International