Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, refused to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee on Monday, invoking her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. The news comes as survivors of Epstein's crimes call for the full release of related files, and as other significant events unfold, including a migrant boat capsizing in the Mediterranean and the sentencing of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking in a Texas prison, appeared virtually for the closed-door deposition. Republican House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer expressed disappointment, stating that Maxwell "refused to answer any questions and pleaded the Fifth." He added that the committee had "many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators," according to BBC World.
Meanwhile, survivors of Epstein's crimes are demanding greater transparency. In a 40-second video released on Super Bowl Sunday by the World Without Exploitation group, survivors held up photographs of their younger selves and declared, "we all deserve the truth," according to BBC World. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) was legally obligated to release all files in December of the previous year, but only some have been made public, with many redacted. The DOJ cited reasons such as irrelevance, duplication, or withholding under deliberative process for the non-released files.
In other news, tragedy struck the Mediterranean Sea. Fifty-three people are dead or missing after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast on Friday, according to the UN migration agency, as reported by The Guardian. Only two survivors were rescued. The International Organization for Migration reported that the boat overturned north of Zuwara.
In Hong Kong, pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Beijing's national security law on Monday, as reported by Al Jazeera. Lai, the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper, was first arrested in August 2020 and found guilty late last year on two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication.
Finally, the potential for renewed tensions in the Middle East remains a concern. According to Al Jazeera, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argues that if the Trump administration adopts Israel's "red lines" in negotiations with Iran, the talks are likely to fail. Parsi suggests that Iran is willing to reach a deal on its nuclear program, but the success of negotiations depends on the US's willingness to challenge Israeli demands.
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