The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has decided to lift the immunity of former Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, following a formal request from the Norwegian authorities to continue investigations into allegations of serious corruption. The decision follows media publications since November 2025 related to documents from the Jeffrey Epstein criminal case in the US.
Immediately after these revelations, the current Secretary-General, Alain Berset, ordered an informal internal administrative investigation in November 2025 to clarify the circumstances and verify whether there was any institutional involvement. The investigation was concluded in January 2026.
Berset stated that all actions have been taken to protect the integrity and reputation of the Council of Europe and that he recommended lifting immunity to enable the Norwegian judiciary to do its job and Jagland to defend himself in court, if prosecuted.
The matter has also been referred to the Council of Europe's Directorate of Internal Oversight to verify whether there were any institutional failures or shortcomings. In parallel, Berset has launched a broader review of institutional governance practices.
The waiver of immunity was made on the basis of a request dated 8 February 2026 from the Norwegian Economic and Environmental Crimes Investigation Authority (Økokrim). The Committee of Ministers stressed that diplomatic immunity is not granted for personal gain, but to guarantee the independence of the official function, and that the Council of Europe will cooperate with the competent authorities for the proper administration of justice.
