French opposition seeks parliamentary probe into Epstein files

By Esra Taskin

PARIS (AA) - The France Unbowed (LFI) party will seek the creation of a parliamentary inquiry commission to examine revelations related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an opposition lawmaker said Tuesday.

Antoine Leaument, a left-wing LFI lawmaker, said that newly released documents in the Epstein case highlight both political implications and allegations of human trafficking that need scrutiny by lawmakers.

Attention must be focused on the victims, those who have spoken and those who still cannot, he told during a weekly press conference in Paris, urging lawmakers to fulfill their responsibilities.

He noted that many citizens were surprised by what he described as the silence of French political leaders and the media, adding that the situation was beginning to change and that his party would formally submit a motion to establish an inquiry commission.

The US Justice Department recently released more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by US President Donald Trump in November.

The materials include photographs, grand jury transcripts, and investigative records, though many pages remain heavily redacted.

Epstein was found dead by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.

*Writing by Burak Bir in London