United
States—Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), invoked the Fifth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution more than 100 times during an sworn testimony in response to
questions regarding alleged involvement in "crimes against humanity."
According to
reports, Fauci was confronted during his appearance before the committee
focused on the pandemic and the handling of COVID-19, led by legislators such
as Rand Paul, with accusations concerning biomedical research that allegedly
used human fetal tissue implanted in laboratory mice to develop study models
known as "humanized mice." It is also alleged that these animals were
subsequently sent to laboratories in China.
The
aforementioned accusations characterize these investigations as "crimes
against humanity" and claim that Fauci avoided answering questions by
invoking the Fifth Amendment, a constitutional provision that protects
individuals against self-incrimination.
The use of
fetal tissue in certain biomedical research has been the subject of ethical and
political debate for years in the United States. Some projects funded with
federal resources by left-leaning administrations used this type of material
for the development of experimental models, a practice that has been criticized
by various sectors, including medical, political, and social groups.