The 46-nation body said it acted at the request of Norway’s economic and environmental crime authority, Økokrim, and granted a waiver connected to acts performed in an official capacity. Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said the move “would allow the Norwegian justice system to do its work,” according to the Council of Europe announcement.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the government asked for the waiver so investigators can establish what happened. “Mr. Jagland’s immunity cannot stand in the way of an investigation,” Eide said in a statement from Norway’s Foreign Ministry.
Økokrim has said it is examining whether Thorbjørn Jagland received gifts, travel benefits or loans connected to his position and whether any such benefits could amount to bribery. Thorbjørn Jagland has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing; his lawyer said he will cooperate but believes “there are no circumstances that constitute criminal liability,” Reuters reported.
What the waiver means for Thorbjørn Jagland
Top Council of Europe officials are granted privileges and immunities similar to those of diplomatic envoys, and protections can continue after they leave office for actions taken in an official capacity. The waiver removes a procedural barrier for investigators seeking cooperation, records or testimony tied to Thorbjørn Jagland’s tenure at the Strasbourg-based organization.
The council said it would cooperate with competent authorities to facilitate the proper administration of justice and invited Berset to consider any future requests from Økokrim related to the case.
Council of Europe launches internal follow-up
Berset ordered an internal administrative inquiry after media reports in November 2025 linked Thorbjørn Jagland to documents released by U.S. authorities in the Epstein criminal case, the council said. The inquiry concluded in January, and Berset has referred the matter to the council’s internal oversight directorate while also launching a broader review of governance practices.
Why Jeffrey Epstein’s files keep resurfacing
Epstein’s network has remained under scrutiny years after his death. Federal prosecutors in New York charged him in 2019 with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, according to the U.S. attorney’s office announcement.
He died in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial, and the New York City medical examiner later ruled the death a suicide, as reported by ABC News.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in federal court in 2021 for helping recruit, groom and abuse underage girls, the Justice Department said in a statement on the verdict.
Norwegian authorities opened their investigation into Thorbjørn Jagland after the release of Epstein-related documents, according to an Associated Press report.
The legal threshold for charges remains unclear, but the council’s decision means prosecutors can proceed without the diplomatic shield that normally protects a former secretary general’s official acts. For now, Thorbjørn Jagland says he will cooperate as authorities work to determine whether any relationship crossed into corruption.
