Norway’s parliament began public hearings on Wednesday into ties between late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Norwegian diplomats and politicians. The hearings, led by the Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, follow the release in January of millions of Epstein-related documents by the US Justice Department. The committee has summoned 11 current and former foreign and development ministers, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, who was foreign minister from 2005 to 2012. Stoere says he had no relation to Epstein. Former foreign minister Boerge Brende, who resigned as head of the World Economic Forum after revelations about his friendship with Epstein, is also due to testify. Committee leader Jonas Andersen Sayed said many of those involved had shown “very poor judgement”. The hearings are expected to scrutinise how Epstein gained access to Norway’s diplomatic establishment. Context: Norway is home to the Nobel Peace Prize and has long played a prominent role in international diplomacy.