On Wednesday, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers lifted immunity for former Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, following a request from Norwegian authorities to pursue proceedings related to alleged connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and aggravated corruption.
The Committee of Ministers, representing the governments of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states, acted under Article 19 of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, following a Feb. 8 request from Norway’s National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Okokrim), News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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Under the agreement, secretaries general enjoy diplomatic-level immunity for acts performed in their official capacity, even after leaving office. But immunity is granted to safeguard the independent exercise of official functions, not for personal benefit.
Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset said he recommended lifting immunity to allow the Norwegian justice system “to do its work,” according to the statement.
“Following the revelations of November 2025, I took all measures that I considered necessary to protect the integrity and reputation of the Council of Europe,” said Berset, noting that an informal internal administrative inquiry had been launched in November and concluded in January.
Berset also referred the matter to the Directorate of Internal Oversight to examine whether any institutional failures occurred and announced a broader review of governance practices within the organization.
The Committee of Ministers said the Council of Europe would cooperate with authorities to facilitate the proper administration of justice.
The US Justice Department last month released more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law last November.
Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he pleaded guilty and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution, but critics call the relatively minor conviction a “sweetheart deal.”
His victims have alleged that he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used by members of the wealthy and political elite. They have also criticized the latest release of the Epstein files, saying they are too heavily redacted, with many important documents omitted.
