Due to the politician's connections with Epstein, an investigation against Jagland was initiated in Norway, for which the police requested to lift his immunity.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CMCE) lifted the immunity of former Norwegian Prime Minister and ex-Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland in connection with an investigation initiated in Norway against him following the publication of documents related to the case of American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
This decision will allow "the Norwegian justice system to do its job, and Mr. Jagland, in the event of charges being brought, to defend himself," said the current Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berse, on Wednesday, February 11. Jagland's lawyer responded that his client takes this matter seriously but emphasized that "there is no evidence related to criminal prosecution."
Investigation Against the Former Prime Minister of Norway
Earlier, the Norwegian police unit for combating economic crimes (Oekokrim) began an investigation against Jagland due to suspicions of serious corruption offenses.
"We believe there are substantial grounds for verification, as during the period covered by the published documents, he held the positions of Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe," stated Oekokrim head Pål Løset. He explained that the basis for initiating the investigation was information from newly published documents related to the Epstein case. So far, no charges have been brought against Jagland.
Jagland Called His Connections with Epstein 'Diplomacy'
According to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, which examined the materials related to Epstein and Jagland, he had a guarantee from Jeffrey Epstein for the purchase of an apartment. The politician also stayed several times in Epstein's apartments in New York and Paris, and in 2014, he and his family planned a trip to Epstein's island, which was ultimately canceled, reported AFP.
Jagland claimed that his connections with Epstein were part of "normal diplomatic activities." In early February, he admitted to the newspaper Aftenposten that he made a "mistake" in maintaining these relations.
Jagland served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee from 2009 to 2015, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.
