Norway's ex-prime minister in hospital due to Epstein stress

Norway's former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been admitted to hospital due to the stress caused by the Epstein scandal, the NTB news agency and others cited his lawyer as saying on Tuesday.

Jagland is one of the most prominent figures to have been implicated by the release of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Norwegian authorities are investigating allegations of serious corruption.

The former top politician is said to have stayed at Epstein's apartments in Paris and New York and holidayed at his estate in Palm Beach in the US state of Florida during his time as secretary general of the Council of Europe, a human rights organization.

Epstein, a US multimillionaire who died in custody in 2019, had run an abuse ring for years with a still unknown number of victims, some of whom were minors.

Jagland's lawyer stated that his client was cooperating with the investigating authorities but that he did not believe there were grounds for criminal prosecution.

Officials from Norway's economic crime authority have carried out searches of Jagland's residences.

After serving as prime minister from 1996 to 1997, Jagland headed the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019 and was also chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for many years.

At Norway's request, the Council of Europe recently lifted Jagland's immunity for the 10 years he had been at the head of the organization.