04.02.2026 23:36
The connections of former Norwegian Prime Minister and Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland to Epstein have become a topic of discussion in the country. Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, stated, "If Thorbjorn Jagland has received significant financial benefits from Jeffrey Epstein, this is against our ethical rules." Harpviken emphasized that it is too early to make a judgment, as Jagland has not yet made a statement regarding the matter.
The Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, made striking statements regarding former Norwegian Prime Minister and Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjørn Jagland, whose connections to Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in prison while being tried for charges related to a prostitution network targeting underage girls, have come to light.
"IF THERE IS MATERIAL BENEFIT, IT IS AN ETHICAL VIOLATION"
According to a report by NRK, a Norwegian broadcaster, Harpviken stated at a press conference that if Jagland had received a significant material benefit from Epstein, it would be against the ethical rules of the Nobel.
Harpviken said, "If Thorbjorn Jagland has received a significant material benefit from Jeffrey Epstein, this is against our ethical rules."
"IT IS TOO EARLY TO JUDGE"
Emphasizing that not all details have been clarified, Harpviken stated that he did not want to make a premature judgment about Jagland. He also added that Jagland, who has also served as Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, has not made a comprehensive statement regarding his relations with Epstein.
"EPSTEIN WAS NETWORKING WITH INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE"
Harpviken argued that Epstein aimed to create a network by contacting influential figures and stated that members of the Nobel Committee should be extremely cautious regarding such relationships, saying, "I believe Epstein was interested in creating a network because he wanted to exchange information in many ways and influence powerful individuals."
EMPHASIS ON THE REPUTATION OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Following the emergence of the issue, Harpviken announced that the existing procedures would be reviewed to protect the reputation of the Nobel Peace Prize and that ethical rules would be strengthened if necessary.
In response to the question of whether committee members received expensive gifts, he replied, "This is a very rare occurrence because such a thing should not happen."
JAGLAND'S CONNECTION TO EPSTEIN APPEARED IN DOCUMENTS
In documents made public as part of the Epstein investigation, it was revealed that Jagland, who presented the Nobel Peace Prize to former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2009 and served as the Chairman of the Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015, had close ties to Epstein.
EMAILS AND ISLAND VISITS
Jagland, whose name appears in more than 2,000 documents, was seen in an email he sent to Epstein stating, "I was with extraordinarily beautiful girls in Tirana. I am going to Jordan, Palestine, and Israel."
Another email indicates that Jagland planned to visit the island used by Epstein for activities related to sexual exploitation and prostitution.
JAGLAND'S POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Jagland served as Norway's Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997 and also held the position of Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.
After the collapse of the First Bondevik Government in 2000, a new government was formed by Jens Stoltenberg. In the newly formed government, Jagland served as Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs until 2001. In 2002, he handed over the leadership of the Labour Party to Stoltenberg.
From October 2005 to 2009, he served as the President of the Norwegian Parliament. He has been a member of the Norwegian Parliament since 1993.
NAMES IN THE DOCUMENTS
The disclosed Epstein case files included the names of many famous individuals such as Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Al Gore, Kevin Spacey, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield, Alan Dershowitz, and Bill Richardson.
FBI: NO CLIENT LIST
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that, as a result of the investigation conducted with the Department of Justice, there was no evidence that Epstein kept a "client list" of famous individuals. It was also concluded that Epstein's death was officially ruled a suicide.