Norwegian diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen wrote a recommendation letter supporting a visa application for a Russian woman linked to Jeffrey Epstein’s circle, according to Norwegian financial daily DN.

According to Dagens Næringsliv (DN), US authorities received a letter in the summer of 2017 in which Terje Rød-Larsen recommended the woman and described her as possessing “extraordinary abilities”, based on observations he claimed to have made through his work at the International Peace Institute (IPI) think tank.

Terje Rød-Larsen is a veteran Norwegian diplomat who previously served as a minister for the Labour Party. He is married to Ambassador Mona Juul, who also has a Labour Party background.

DN reports that the woman herself states she is one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. In recently released documents from the US authorities, a “letter from Terje” is referenced in an email the woman sent to Epstein’s assistant shortly before her visa application.

DN also reveals that Rød-Larsen sent a formal letter of support on the woman’s behalf in 2015, after Epstein emailed requesting that the reference be written on official letterhead and more explicitly emphasise the need for her assistance in the future.

Rød-Larsen and a former assistant, Fabrice Aidan, have not responded to the newspaper’s questions, according to DN.

Rød-Larsen stepped down as head of IPI in 2020 after DN reported that he had received a private loan of USD 130,000 from Epstein. In a letter to IPI partners at the time, Rød-Larsen wrote:

I realise that entering into a personal financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was a serious misjudgement on my part, and I regret it wholeheartedly.

Jeffrey Epstein was convicted in 2008 of paying a minor for sexual favours. He was re-arrested in 2019 and died in custody before the case went to trial.