OSLO — Thorbjørn Jagland, the former Prime Minister of Norway and former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has been formally charged with gross corruption by Norwegian authorities. The charges, announced on Thursday, follow a series of police raids on his properties and a landmark decision by the Council of Europe to waive his diplomatic immunity. The investigation centers on Jagland’s extensive ties to the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) confirmed that Jagland has been designated as a suspect in a criminal probe. Under Norwegian law, the execution of search warrants and the formal notification of suspicion automatically confer the status of “charged” (siktet), a procedural designation that triggers specific legal rights before any potential indictment.
“Økokrim can confirm that we have opened an investigation into Thorbjørn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption,” said Pål K. Lønseth, the director of Økokrim. “The investigation seeks to determine whether gifts, travel, and other benefits were received in connection with his official positions.”
The charges come less than 24 hours after the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers voted unanimously to lift Jagland’s immunity. The waiver was requested by Norwegian prosecutors to allow them to investigate actions taken during Jagland’s tenure as Secretary General from 2009 to 2019. This marks a rare instance of a high-ranking international diplomat losing protection to face criminal inquiries at home.
On Thursday morning, police officers were seen entering Jagland’s primary residence in Oslo and his holiday home in Risør. Witnesses reported investigators removing boxes and digital devices from the premises.
The investigation was triggered by the release of thousands of pages of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2026, mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The files reportedly contain email correspondence and flight logs suggesting a deeper relationship between Jagland and Epstein than previously disclosed. Norwegian media outlets, including the state broadcaster NRK, have reported that the documents detail plans for a family vacation to Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean in 2014, as well as luxury stays at Epstein’s properties in Paris and New York.
At the time of the alleged contacts, Jagland held two of the most prestigious offices in international diplomacy: he was the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize.
Jagland has denied any criminal wrongdoing. His defense attorney, Anders Brosveet, stated that his client welcomes the opportunity to clear his name. “My client maintains that he has not committed any criminal offenses,” Brosveet told reporters outside the Oslo residence. “He acknowledges contact with Epstein but firmly denies that any interaction constituted corruption or that he received benefits in exchange for influence. We are cooperating fully with Økokrim to clarify these matters.”
The case has sent shockwaves through the Norwegian political establishment. Jagland, who served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997 and Foreign Minister from 2000 to 2001, is a titan of the Labour Party. Current Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has described the situation as “deeply serious” and previously characterized the revelations of Jagland’s contacts as a display of “poor judgment.”
The probe into Jagland is part of a widening scandal in Norway linked to the Epstein documents. Earlier this week, authorities opened similar investigations into other high-profile figures, including former diplomat Mona Juul and her husband Terje Rød-Larsen, regarding their own financial and personal ties to the disgraced financier.
As the investigation proceeds, Økokrim is expected to interview Jagland and examine the seized materials to determine if the interactions violated Norwegian anti-corruption laws, which carry strict penalties for public officials who accept improper advantages.
