Latest news with #insurrection
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
South Korea ex-leader Yoon indicted as martial law probe continues
Disgraced former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been indicted over his declaration of martial law last year as investigators widened an insurrection probe. The prosecution indicted Yoon on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties, prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters on Saturday. Park said Yoon also did not follow the required procedure to declare martial law, including holding a meeting with all government cabinet members. He was also charged with 'drafting and discarding a false document' that stated the prime minister and defence minister endorsed martial law. Yoon has denied all wrongdoing. He plunged South Korea into a political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule in December, sending troops to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration of martial law. Yoon became the first sitting president in the country to be taken into custody when he was detained in January after resisting arrest for weeks, using his presidential security detail to thwart investigators. He was released on procedural grounds in March even as his trial on insurrection charges continued. Last week, he was detained again after an arrest warrant was issued over concerns he might destroy evidence in the case. Yoon appeared in court on Friday at a hearing to argue for his arrest warrant to be cancelled. The ex-president's legal team told reporters Yoon defended himself for more than 30 minutes and noted his 'limited physical mobility and the challenges he was facing'. The court denied the request. State prosecutors have already indicted Yoon on other criminal charges, including masterminding a rebellion, a charge with conviction carrying only two sentences — capital punishment or life imprisonment. Meanwhile, a demonstration with thousands attending took place in the South Korean capital, Seoul, as well as other parts of the country against the policies of current President Lee Jae-myung. Lee won a snap election in June after Yoon was removed from office. Many South Koreans are angry because they believe the new government has not addressed their concerns in its reform plans.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Korea's jailed ex-president Yoon indicted again
South Korea's jailed ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol has been indicted on additional charges as a special prosecutor investigates him over his short-lived declaration of martial law. The new charges include obstruction of the exercise of others' rights by abuse of authority, ordering the deletion of records and blocking the execution of arrest warrants, the prosecutor's office said in a briefing on Saturday. Yoon triggered an unprecedented constitutional crisis when he declared martial law during a televised address in December, shocking a nation that had come to pride itself as a thriving democracy after overcoming military dictatorship in the 1980s. He has been on trial on charges of insurrection, which is punishable by death or life imprisonment, and is facing additional charges since the special prosecutor was appointed in June to take over the cases against him. Yoon has denied all wrongdoing. His lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new charges. The impeached and deposed former leader has been jailed at Seoul Detention Center since early July. A court rejected his recent request to be freed from detention.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
S. Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol indicted on multiple charges including abuse of power
SEOUL, July 19 — Disgraced South Korean ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted for abuse of power Saturday over his declaration of martial law last year, as investigators widened an insurrection probe. Yoon plunged South Korea into a political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule on December 3, sending troops to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers voting down his declaration of martial law. He became the first sitting president in the country to be taken into custody when he was detained in January after resisting arrest for weeks, using his presidential security detail to thwart investigators. He was released on procedural grounds in March, even as his trial on insurrection charges continued. Last week he was detained again after an arrest warrant was issued over concerns he might destroy evidence in the case. The prosecution 'indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties', prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters Saturday. Park said Yoon also did not follow the required procedure to declare martial law, including holding a meeting with all cabinet members of the government. Yoon was also charged with 'drafting and discarding a false document' that stated the prime minister and defence minister had endorsed martial law. Yoon has refused to attend questioning since he was detained, but appeared in court on Friday at a hearing to argue for his warrant to be cancelled. The ex-president's legal team told reporters that Yoon defended himself for over 30 minutes, and mentioned his 'limited physical mobility and the challenges he was facing'. The court denied the request. Yoon is being held in solitary in a cell which has a fan but no air-conditioning, as a heat wave grips South Korea. — AFP
France 24
5 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
South Korea's ex-president indicted for abuse of power
Yoon plunged South Korea into a political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule on December 3, sending troops to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers voting down his declaration of martial law. He became the first sitting president in the country to be taken into custody when he was detained in January after resisting arrest for weeks, using his presidential security detail to thwart investigators. He was released on procedural grounds in March, even as his trial on insurrection charges continued. Last week he was detained again after an arrest warrant was issued over concerns he might destroy evidence in the case. The prosecution "indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties", prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters Saturday. Park said Yoon also did not follow the required procedure to declare martial law, including holding a meeting with all cabinet members of the government. Yoon was also charged with "drafting and discarding a false document" that stated the prime minister and defence minister had endorsed martial law. Yoon has refused to attend questioning since he was detained, but appeared in court on Friday at a hearing to argue for his warrant to be cancelled. The ex-president's legal team told reporters that Yoon defended himself for over 30 minutes, and mentioned his "limited physical mobility and the challenges he was facing". The court denied the request.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former January 6 defendant now advising justice department's ‘weaponization working group'
A former FBI agent who allegedly shouted 'kill 'em!' at law enforcement officers during the January 6 insurrection is now advising a 'weaponization working group' in the Trump justice department, a sign of the elevated role rioters are playing since they were granted clemency by the president. Jared L Wise has been named an adviser or counselor to Ed Martin, the advocate for January 6ers who was previously acting as US attorney for Washington DC and is now leading the weaponization working group, the New York Times and ABC News reported on Tuesday. The contours of Wise's role are not clear. The move is a further embrace by the Trump administration of those who stormed the US Capitol in 2021 seeking to overturn Trump's electoral loss and shows how fundamentally the justice department has shifted on January 6 since Trump won last November, tailoring itself to his retribution agenda. Related: US Capitol rioter ordered to pay damages for assaulting cop who later died by suicide The justice department's prosecution of Wise was under way when Trump took office in January, so it was one of many cases that were dismissed before a verdict. He had been charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors, and he had pleaded not guilty. On his first day in office, Trump granted clemency to all who were convicted or charged for their roles in the January 6 riot, including those charged with violent acts. The justice department, under the Biden administration, had identified Wise in footage inside the US Capitol and engaging with police among a group of protesters outside. Video footage from a Metropolitan police department body camera showed Wise saying to police officers: 'You guys are disgusting. I'm former – I'm former law enforcement. You're disgusting. You are the Nazi. You are the Gestapo. You can't see it … Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!' The department's press release on Wise notes that once violence broke out against law enforcement officers in front of him, Wise said, 'Yeah, fuck them! Yeah, kill 'em!' and then, in the direction of people who were attacking the police line: 'Kill 'em! Kill 'em! Kill 'em!' Before attending the January 6 riot, he was an FBI special agent and supervisory special agent from 2004 to 2017, according to the justice department. He was also an operative for the rightwing media outlet Project Veritas, where he was 'assigned to infiltrate teacher unions in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Kentucky', according to the New York Times. The justice department's weaponization working group was set up in February to analyze instances in the previous four years in which 'a department's or agency's conduct appears to have been designed to achieve political objectives or other improper aims rather than pursuing justice or legitimate governmental objectives', according to a memo announcing it. This includes the investigations into Trump, prosecutions of January 6 defendants, anti-abortion protests and supposed anti-Catholic bias. Martin, whose nomination to become the US attorney for DC was withdrawn after it became unclear how he could secure confirmation, is a vocal and frequent advocate for January 6 defendants. Stanley Woodward, who had defended people involved in the insurrection and many others in Trump's orbit over the years, is now in the No 3 position in the justice department, associate attorney general. Solve the daily Crossword
