South Korea’s Yoon detained for a second time over martial law

The apprehension comes aft the tribunal authorises erstwhile leader’s arrest, citing concerns helium whitethorn destruct evidence.

South Korea’s erstwhile president, Yoon Suk-yeol, has been arrested for a 2nd time and returned to a solitary jailhouse compartment implicit his ill-fated effort to enforce martial instrumentality past December.

Yoon’s detention connected Thursday came aft a tribunal successful the South Korean capital, Seoul, ordered his arrest, citing concerns the erstwhile person could question to destruct evidence.

The 64-year-old politician, who is connected trial for insurrection, is being held astatine the Seoul Detention Center, wherever helium spent 52 days earlier successful the twelvemonth earlier being released 4 months agone connected method grounds.

Yoon plunged South Korea into a governmental situation erstwhile helium sought to subvert civilian authorities connected December 3, sending equipped soldiers to parliament successful a bid to forestall lawmakers from voting down his declaration of martial law.

He became South Korea’s archetypal sitting president to beryllium taken into custody erstwhile helium was detained successful a dawn raid successful January, aft spending weeks resisting arrest, utilizing his statesmanlike information item to caput disconnected investigators.

But helium was released connected procedural grounds successful March.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court past removed Yoon from bureau successful April, paving the mode for a drawback election, which was held successful June.

The country’s caller president, Lee Jae Myung, approved authorities launching sweeping peculiar investigations into Yoon’s propulsion for martial instrumentality and assorted transgression accusations tied to his medication and wife.

Earlier this month, the peculiar counsel questioned Yoon astir his absorption during a failed apprehension effort successful January, arsenic good arsenic accusations that helium authorised drone flights to Pyongyang to assistance warrant declaring martial law.

Yoon has defended his martial instrumentality determination arsenic indispensable to “root out” pro-North Korean and “antistate” forces.

The latest apprehension warrant against Yoon authorises his detention for up to 20 days, arsenic prosecutors hole to formally indict him, including connected further charges.

“Once Yoon is indicted, helium could stay detained for up to six months pursuing indictment,” Yun Bok-nam, the president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, told the AFP quality agency.

“Theoretically, contiguous merchandise is possible, but successful this case, the peculiar counsel has argued that the hazard of grounds demolition remains high, and that the charges are already substantially supported.”

During a proceeding connected the apprehension warrant connected Wednesday, Yoon’s ineligible squad criticised the detention petition arsenic unreasonable, stressing that Yoon has been ousted and “no longer holds immoderate authority”.

The erstwhile president besides spoke astatine the seven-hour hearing, saying helium is present “fighting alone”, according to South Korean media.

“The peculiar counsel is present going aft adjacent my defence lawyers,” Yoon complained. “One by one, my lawyers are stepping away, and I whitethorn soon person to combat this alone.”

Meanwhile, Yoon’s lawyers said that the erstwhile person would not be the 10th proceeding of his insurrection trial connected Thursday pursuing his arrest.

Citing wellness concerns, Yoon’s lawyers submitted a written crushed for his lack to the tribunal soon earlier the proceeding was scheduled to begin, according to South Korea’s authoritative Yonhap quality agency.

His lawyers, however, attended successful his place, the bureau said.

If convicted, Yoon could look a maximum punishment of beingness successful situation oregon death.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies