The Council of Europe today lifted diplomatic immunity for its former secretary general, Thorbjorn Jagland, who is being investigated for his ties to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Norwegian police announced last week they had opened a probe into “aggravated corruption” against the Jagland, who is also a former prime minister of Norway.
Politicians, celebrities and royals have been caught up in the turmoil after the US Justice Department last month published a new cache of nearly three million documents related to the investigation of Epstein — who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
Jagland had immunity for heading the Council, Europe’s watchdog for democracy and human rights, for acts carried out during his tenure, which ran from 2009 to 2019.
Removing his immunity would “allow the Norwegian justice system to do its work and Mr Jagland, if prosecuted, to defend himself”, said the Council’s current secretary general, Alain Berset in a statement.
Berset said he had already requested “an informal internal administrative inquiry” into the circumstances around the allegations against Jagland, “to protect the integrity and reputation” of the 46-member Council, which is based in the French city of Strasbourg.
Without waiting for the outcome, Berset added, “I will launch in parallel a thorough review of our institutional governance practices.”
Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, said in a statement that the decision to lift his immunity was “expected” and “Jagland will cooperate with the investigation to clarify all matters.”
“He takes this matter very seriously, but wishes to emphasize that he believes there are no circumstances that constitute criminal liability,” Brosveet added.
Citing the latest document release, Norwegian newspaper VG reported that Jagland had extensive contact with Epstein and asked him for financial help to buy an apartment.
Jagland, 75, told VG he had obtained all his property loans from Norwegian bank DNB.
The latest documents show he stayed with Epstein in New York in 2018, as well as in Epstein’s Paris apartment in 2015 and 2018.
The former leader had planned a family trip to Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2014, which was ultimately cancelled.
Jagland told newspaper Aftenposten earlier this month he had shown “poor judgment” by maintaining ties with Epstein.
Jagland was premier of Norway from 1996 to 1997, and between January 2009 and March 2015, he also chaired the committee that selects the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
