Seoul, Feb 10 (IANS) A South Korean court hearing to determine whether to cancel the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will be held next week, sources said on Monday.
The Seoul Central District Court has scheduled the hearing for February 20 to review a request by Yoon to cancel his detention and release him.
The hearing will take place simultaneously with the first preparatory hearing for his criminal trial connected to his botched imposition of martial law. It remains unknown whether Yoon will attend in person, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon was indicted January 26 on charges of leading an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3. He has been held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of the capital, since investigators detained him at his official residence on January 15.
Earlier in the day, South Korean state human rights watchdog began a meeting to discuss whether to adopt a recommendation to guarantee President Yoon Suk Yeol’s right to defence during his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) convened its plenary meeting on the issue amid growing demand among Yoon’s supporters that the impeached president should be guaranteed a fair trial at the Constitutional Court.
The meeting came after an NHRCK standing commissioner proposed the recommendation as part of an agenda to address the national crisis triggered by Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on December 3 last year. But the commission failed to hold discussions on January 13 and 20 amid strong protests from supporters of liberal opposition parties.
Earlier on Monday, pro-Yoon demonstrators attempted to enter the NHRCK building in central Seoul in a bid to block protesters opposing the proposed recommendation but were scattered later after police intervened, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon’s supporters have demanded the commission adopt the recommendation in his favour, whereas opposition parties and their supporters have come out against the move. Ahead of the meeting, ruling and opposition party lawmakers visited the commission to express their opinions on the agenda.
–IANS
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