Senior diplomat resigns as Norway investigates Epstein links

SCMP | Feb. 8, 2026, 2:53 p.m. | Original

Norway’s ambassador to the UN Mona Juul resigned on Sunday following revelations of links to Jeffrey Epstein. Photo: Reuters

Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq has resigned after an investigation was launched into her ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Mona Juul, who played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s, is among several high-profile Norwegian figures swept up in the latest Epstein file release.

“This is a correct and necessary decision. Juul’s contact with the convicted abuser Epstein has shown a serious lapse in judgment,” Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.

The senior diplomat was temporarily suspended on Monday pending an investigation into her alleged links to Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

Epstein left US$10 million in his will to Juul’s two children with her husband, fellow diplomat and Oslo talks broker Terje Rod-Larsen, according to Norwegian media.

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has said she regrets her relationship with Epstein. Photo: NTB / AFP
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has said she regrets her relationship with Epstein. Photo: NTB / AFP

Eide said the ministry would continue to hold talks with Juul throughout the review to determine the extent of their dealings.

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