Newly released documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation reportedly mention North Macedonia in relation to human brain tissue samples being used for scientific research in the United States, raising ethical and transparency concerns.
According to the recently published material, Macedonia is cited as having participated in a project with Columbia University, in which samples of brain tissue from people who had committed suicide were sent abroad for studies on suicide and schizophreni.
The disclosure has prompted debate and questions about how consent was obtained and whether ethical standards were fully respected. North Macedonian authorities have stated that family consent was requested, but the publication of the documents has triggered doubts about the completeness of that consent and the transparency of the process for sending the samples outside the country.
Elsewhere in related reporting, leaked emails referenced in the case suggest that around 1,000 brain samples were transported to the United States under controlled conditions. These samples were reportedly frozen after extraction, marked with QR codes, and archived for scientific study by U.S. researchers.
North Macedonia’s former director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Skopje has told international press that the procedures were carried out legally as part of a large international research project and that the samples were handled under strict protocols.
At the same time, the North Macedonian Minister of Health has said a working group has been formed to analyze the information administratively, including any memoranda or official approvals related to the period in question, and that authorities will publicly communicate findings once the review is complete.
The revelations come amid broader reporting on the Epstein dossier, which has raised questions—though not confirmed allegations—about international research collaborations involving sensitive biological materials.