Seoul, Feb 10 (IANS) The South Korea’s state human rights watchdog adopted on Monday a controversial recommendation to guarantee President Yoon Suk Yeol’s right to defence during his ongoing impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea’s (NHRCK) decision was reached during its plenary meeting amid growing demand among Yoon’s supporters that the impeached president should be guaranteed a fair trial at the Constitutional Court.
The proposal was passed with six votes in favor and four against out of 11 commissioners.
The opposition denounced the decision, calling it “the day the NHRCK died.”
“The Human Rights Commission is the last safeguard for human rights, and so it should only make recommendations related to human rights and not politically charged issues,” said Kim Yong-jik, a standing commissioner at the NHRCK.
Monday’s 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 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.
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.
–IANS
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