 ▲ 윤석열 대통령이 21일 오후 서울 종로구 헌법재판소에서 열린 탄핵심판 3차 변론기일에 출석해 심판정에 앉아 있다. © 뉴시스 |
윤석열 대통령 측이 24일 서울중앙지검의 구속기간 연장 신청에 대한 법원의 불허 결정에 "윤 대통령을 즉시 석방하라"고 검찰에 촉구했다.
윤 대통령 변호인단은 이날 밥 입장문을 통해 "서울중앙지법이 공수처법 취지를 명확히 해 올바른 결정을 한 것"이라며 이같이 밝혔다.
그러면서 "공수처법 26조는 공수처 검사가 수사를 마치고 서울중앙지검으로 수사기록을 송부하도록 하고 있다"며 "이는 수사 공정성을 담보하고 수사·기소를 분리하는 공수처법 취지에 기인한 것"이라고 했다.
또 "따라서 중앙지검이 공수처 수사에 이어 보완수사할 근거는 전혀 없다"며 "구속기간 연장 불허는 사법의 마지막 자존심"이라고 강조했다.
이어 "검찰은 더이상 공수처 불법·꼼수에 편승해 대통령의 불법 구속 상태를 유지하지 말고 즉시 대통령을 석방해 공수처 불법행위에 공범이 되지 말라"며 "공수처는 지금까지 수사권이 없음에도 수사를 강행했다'고 지적했다.
더불어 "관할권 없는 법원에 영장 쇼핑을 했고 수천명 경찰력을 불법 동원했다"며 "대통령을 구속한 이후에도 가족 접견 제한·서신 금지·강제구인 시도·탄핵심판 방어권 침해 등 온갖 불법을 마다하지 않았다"고 비판했다.
변호인단은 "검찰은 대통령을 즉시 석방하고 인권보호 감독기관으로서의 지위를 무겁게 받아들여 지금까지 자행된 모든 불법행위를 해소하기 위해 철저한 수사를 신속 진행하라"고 촉구했다.
서울중앙지법은 이날 검찰 비상계엄 특별수사본부(본부장 박세현 서울고검장)가 낸 윤 대통령 구속기간 연장 신청을 불허했다.
법원은 "수사처(공수처) 검사가 고위공직자 범죄에 해당하는 사건을 수사한 다음 공소제기 요구서를 붙여 그 서류·증거물을 검찰청 검사에게 송부한 사건에서 이를 송부받아 공소제기 여부를 판단하는 검찰청 검사가 수사를 계속할 상당한 이유가 있다고 보기 어렵다"고 밝혔다.
한편 검찰은 25일 새벽 2시께 서울중앙지법에 윤 대통령 구속기간 연장을 재신청했다. 전날 불허 결정 후 약 4시간 만으로 이례적이다. 검찰의 연장 요청 기간은 앞선 신청과 같은 오는 2월 6일까지인 가운데 가능성은 사실상 희박해 보인다. 검찰은 1차 구속기간 만료를 오는 27일로 보고 있다.
하지만 재차 법원의 불허 결정이 나면 검찰은 1차 구속기간 만료 전 윤 대통령을 구속기소 할 수 있는 반면 한 차례 대면조사도 없이 기소·공소 유지가 불가능하다 판단 시 일단 윤 대통령 석방 후 불구속 기소할 가능성 역시 배제할 수 없다. 법원·검찰의 결정 및 윤 대통령 석방 여부가 주목된다.
아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.
President Yoon's side urges "immediate release of the president" after court refuses to extend detention period
Defense team: "Rejecting extension of detention period is the last pride of the judiciary... Prosecutors should stop taking advantage of the illegal investigation of the Public Prosecutor's Office and immediately release the president, and conduct a thorough and swift investigation to resolve all illegal acts committed so far."
-kihong Kim reporter
On the 24th, President Yoon Seok-yeol's side urged the prosecution to "immediately release President Yoon" in response to the court's decision to reject the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's request for an extension of the detention period.
President Yoon's legal team stated in a statement that day, "The Seoul Central District Court made the right decision by clarifying the purpose of the Public Prosecutor's Office Act."
They added, "Article 26 of the Public Prosecutor's Office Act requires the Public Prosecutor's Office prosecutor to send the investigation records to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office after completing the investigation," and "This is based on the purpose of the Public Prosecutor's Office Act to ensure fairness in the investigation and separate investigation and prosecution."
They also emphasized, "Therefore, there is absolutely no basis for the Central District Prosecutors' Office to conduct a supplementary investigation following the Public Prosecutor's Office's investigation," and "Rejecting an extension of the detention period is the last pride of the judiciary."
He continued, “The prosecution should no longer continue to maintain the illegal detention of the president by taking advantage of the illegality and trickery of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and should immediately release the president so as not to become an accomplice in the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials’ illegal acts,” and pointed out that “the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials has pushed ahead with its investigations despite having no investigative authority.”
He also criticized, “They went on warrant shopping in courts without jurisdiction and illegally mobilized thousands of police officers,” and “Even after arresting the president, they did not hesitate to commit all kinds of illegal acts, such as restricting family visits, prohibiting correspondence, attempting to forcibly bring him in, and violating the right to defend against impeachment trials.”
The defense team urged, “The prosecution should immediately release the president, take seriously its position as a human rights protection supervisory agency, and swiftly conduct a thorough investigation to resolve all illegal acts committed so far.”
On this day, the Seoul Central District Court rejected the request for an extension of the detention period for President Yoon submitted by the Special Investigation Headquarters of the Prosecution Service (Director Park Se-hyun, Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office).
The court stated, “The prosecution (Chief Investigation Headquarters) has committed a crime that is equivalent to a high-ranking public official’s crime. "In a case where a request for indictment is attached and the documents and evidence are sent to the prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor's Office after investigating the case, it is difficult to see that there is a significant reason for the prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor's Office, who receives the documents and decides whether to indict, to continue the investigation," he said.
Meanwhile, the prosecution reapplied for an extension of President Yoon’s detention period at the Seoul Central District Court at around 2:00 AM on the 25th. This is unusual, as it came only about 4 hours after the previous day’s decision to reject it. The prosecution’s extension request period is the same as the previous application, until February 6th, so the possibility seems slim. The prosecution is expecting the first detention period to expire on the 27th.
However, if the court rejects the request again, the prosecution can indict President Yoon before the end of the first detention period. However, if it is determined that it is impossible to indict and maintain the indictment without a single face-to-face investigation, it is also possible that President Yoon will be released and then indicted without detention. Attention is focused on the court and prosecution’s decisions and whether President Yoon will be released.
