ملفات إبستين إلى العلن غداً الجمعة.. كشف قانوني يعيد فتح أخطر القضايا الأمريكية

All eyes in the United States are on the U.S. Department of Justice this Friday, which is legally obligated to release a massive batch of investigative documents related to the case of Jeffrey Epstein, one of the most controversial defendants in the history of modern sexual crimes.

Transparency Enforcement Law

This development came after Congress passed, with a sweeping bipartisan majority, a new federal law known as the "Epstein Files Transparency Act," which requires the Department of Justice to publish all non-confidential records related to Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell in a searchable and downloadable format.

A Case That Hasn't Faded from the Spotlight

Since Epstein's death in his jail cell in 2019, the controversy surrounding the case has not diminished, amid allegations of sex trafficking of minors and his extensive connections with prominent political and financial figures, as well as celebrities and foreign officials.

What Do the Files Contain?

According to CNN, the Department of Justice and the FBI possess over 300 gigabytes of data within the "Sentinel" system, including videos, photographs, audio recordings, and written documents, most of which date back to the second federal investigation conducted in 2019 in New York.

Two Investigations and Two Legal Paths

The first investigation began in 2006 in Florida and ended with a "non-prosecution agreement" that later faced sharp criticism. The second investigation led to federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, before Epstein's death, and is the primary source for the majority of the documents set to be released.

Materials on the Release List

Justice Department memos indicate that the documents will include materials from search warrants, travel records, financial and banking documents, witness interviews, internal correspondence, and technical criminal reports for dozens of electronic devices seized from Epstein's properties in Florida, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Limits on Withholding and Redaction

The law explicitly prohibits withholding documents for political reasons or out of fear of embarrassment or reputational harm, even if they relate to high-profile public or foreign figures. However, it allows for the redaction of only specific parts related to protecting the identities of victims, preventing the release of child exploitation materials, or safeguarding active federal investigations, or documents that affect national security and foreign policy.

Files That Will Not Be Released

Despite the vast amount expected to be released, some materials remain outside this framework, including bank records not held by the Department of Justice or documents obtained directly by Congress from Epstein's estate. This means that the case may see new rounds of revelations later on.

Political and Legal Concerns

Some lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have raised concerns about the potential for excessive redaction of documents, especially those that could embarrass the Trump administration, amid an ongoing investigation targeting potential Epstein associates from prominent Democratic figures.

The Voices of the Victims

The victims are divided between those in favor of lifting the confidentiality under strict conditions that protect privacy and those opposed who fear re-traumatization. Victims' attorneys have sharply criticized any transparency that does not consider their safety, asserting that the truth should not come at the expense of the victims' dignity and security.

A Case Without a Near End

Although thousands of documents have already been released over the past years through trials, civil lawsuits, and official investigations, the anticipated release may redraw the map of the case anew and raise deeper questions about influence, justice, and the limits of accountability in one of the most complex cases in modern American history.