Norway Investigates Diplomat Mona Juul Over Epstein Ties and Mishandled Classified Documents
Oslo – A probe into former Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul has expanded to include the mishandling of classified documents from the Oslo Accords peace negotiations, alongside an existing investigation into her connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The developments have triggered scrutiny of security protocols and raised questions about potential breaches of the Security Act.
Investigation into Classified Documents
Norwegian authorities discovered documents marked “strictly confidential” and a folder labeled “secret” in the basement of Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen’s, home. These documents reportedly date back to the Oslo process, the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine in the 1990s, in which Norway played a central role. The documents’ classification status would have expired in 2023, 30 years after their initial classification, unless otherwise specified.
According to the National Security Authority (NSM), storing such documents in a private, unlocked cellar does not meet the requirements for secure storage as outlined in Norwegian security law. Ingvild Bruce, an associate professor at the Norwegian Police Academy, stated that storing classified documents in a basement storage room is “obviously not in line with the current security law.”
Epstein Connection and Corruption Charges
Juul resigned as Norway’s Ambassador to Jordan and Iraq in February 2026, following discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after her contact with Epstein came to light. She and Rød-Larsen are currently under investigation for “aggravated corruption” related to their association with Epstein. Both deny any criminal wrongdoing.
The investigation began after the release of the Epstein files, which revealed a close association between Juul, Rød-Larsen, and Epstein. Emails indicated that Rød-Larsen had dinner with Epstein in Paris in June 2019, shortly before Epstein’s arrest on sex trafficking charges. Reports also surfaced alleging that Epstein’s will included provisions for $5 million each for Juul and Rød-Larsen’s children.
On February 9, 2026, Juul was formally charged by Økokrim, Norway’s National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, on suspicion of aggravated corruption. Her security clearance was also revoked, and she was placed on administrative leave prior to her resignation.
Political Fallout and Calls for Further Investigation
Per-Willy Amundsen, leader of the Control and Constitution Committee at the Storting (Norwegian Parliament), believes the Police Security Service (PST) should launch a separate investigation into potential breaches of the Security Act related to the mishandled classified documents. The Control and Constitution Committee is already conducting its own investigation into the Norwegian links to Epstein and is considering establishing an independent commission.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously concluded in 2006 and again in 2012 that no documents were missing from its archives that were in Rød-Larsen’s possession. However, documents that were not found in the Ministry’s archives later appeared in Israeli Archives in 2021, including a confidential letter from then-Foreign Minister Johan Jørgen Holst to Shimon Peres.
Rød-Larsen, through his lawyer, has stated that he would make any relevant materials available to the National Archives, but Økokrim seized several boxes of documents from their home before this could occur.
Background: The Oslo Accords
Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen played significant roles in the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization aimed at achieving a lasting peace. Despite initial optimism, a comprehensive peace agreement was never reached.