Norway's ambassador to Jordan resigns over Epstein contact

OSLO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mona Juul has stepped down as Norway's ambassador to Jordan, also accredited to Iraq, after revelations about her contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called the resignation "right and necessary," saying Juul's contact with the convicted sex offender showed a "serious failure of judgment" and made it difficult to restore the level of trust required for the post, the ministry said in a statement.

Juul had been relieved of her work obligations last week while the ministry reviewed her knowledge of and contact with Epstein, according to the ministry.

The ministry said its internal fact-finding will continue even after Juul's resignation, with particular attention to the rules that apply to state employees and officials both in and outside service.

Separately, the ministry said it had launched a review of its grants to and contacts with the International Peace Institute during the period when Juul's husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, led the organization. Eide described information that has emerged about Rod-Larsen's contact with Epstein as "very extensive" and "highly concerning," adding that there was "no doubt" he had shown poor judgment.

Epstein, who died in 2019, was a U.S. financier accused of sex trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice said on Jan. 30 that it had published more than 3 million additional pages of materials under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which it said was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November 2025.

Okokrim, Norway's national authority for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crime, said on Thursday that it had opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption based on information contained in the Epstein files, noting his past roles including chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and secretary general of the Council of Europe.