South Korea's former President Yoon Suk-yeol returned to jail on Thursday after a court issued a warrant sought by special counsel investigating Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition.
The Seoul Central District Court accepted the issuance request from Cho Eun-suk, the independent counsel leading the investigation into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, stating that Yoon was feared to destroy evidence.
The charges specified in the warrant included obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and writing a false official document.
Yoon is also accused of violating the rights of cabinet members by excluding most of them from a key meeting ahead of the declaration of martial law last December.
Additional charges include ordering the dissemination of false statements to foreign media, instructing aides to obstruct his arrest in January, and ordering the deletion of call records from secure phones.
Yoon is now being held at the Seoul Detention Center, pending further investigation for up to 20 days as prosecutors prepare a formal indictment.
Outside the detention center, security remains extremely tight, with a large presence of law enforcement and a small contingent of the former president's supporters.
"I came here today to tell Yoon Suk-yeol to stay strong and have courage, even as he heads to court for questioning. He should know that behind him are people like us, who are working hard for our country and supporting him all the way," said Kang Gil-bong, a supporter of Yoon.
Yoon's legal team has called the warrant unreasonable and denied all allegations against him.
Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on January 15 and was indicted under detention on January 26 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection. He was released on March 8, as prosecutors decided not to appeal the court's approval of his release.
The Constitutional Court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon on April 4, over his botched bid for martial law last December, officially removing him from office.
S. Korea's court issues warrant to detain ex-President Yoon
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
