Former Norwegian Prime Minister Hospitalized After Corruption Charges

Former Prime Minister of Norway, Torbjorn Jagland, has been hospitalized just a fortnight after facing serious charges of aggravated corruption linked to documents involving Jeffrey Epstein.

The 75-year-old Jagland was admitted to the hospital “due to the tension that arose after this incident,” according to Anders Broswied, a lawyer from the Elden law firm, in a statement to Bloomberg on Monday.

Jagland, who has held prominent roles—like Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and as Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee—is now at the center of the Epstein investigation. Reports indicate he may have stayed at several of Epstein’s properties in locations like Paris, New York, and Palm Beach while serving with the Council of Europe. However, Jagland maintains his innocence, claiming he has never visited Epstein’s private island.

Following a request from the organization, the Council of Europe recently removed Jagland’s 10-year immunity from his office to facilitate the corruption investigation. Norway’s authorities for economic crime have conducted a search of his residence, and other figures, including diplomat Terje Rod Larsen and his wife, Mona Jul, are also reportedly under investigation.

Jagland is one of several notable individuals mentioned in the recently surfaced documents. His legal team states he is cooperating with authorities, asserting that there is no substantial basis for the charges. “While Jagland takes this matter very seriously, I would like to emphasize that I believe there are no circumstances that would warrant criminal charges,” Broswied stated.

Interestingly, Jagland was instrumental in awarding the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to then-President Barack Obama. At that time, Jagland had just taken over as head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a choice that stirred some controversy. Jagland, serving as Obama’s primary advocate, faced skepticism from some lawmakers who thought it was premature, as Obama had been in office for less than nine months. Yet, Jagland used his influence to secure a unanimous committee vote, arguing that the prize should recognize not just past achievements but also encourage future diplomatic efforts.

Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Obama’s Nobel recognition, remarking, “I won this award without doing anything,” and he dismissed Obama’s merit for receiving the prize as simply having “got elected.”