Lee’s house and office at the National Assembly even though he was at that time incumbent lawmaker of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP). The NIS also raided at about 10 major members of the party on charges of insurrection conspiracy. Lee had a lecture and Q&A session with about 130 members of the UPP. The main evidence was recordings that Mr. Lee, informant for the NIS recorded on the meeting a
nd transcriptions that the NIS made from the recording files. On August 11, 2014, the Court of Appeal found not guilty on the charge of insurrection conspiracy and sentenced 9 years’ imprisonment for Rep. Lee Seok-ki for the crime of insurrection provocation. On January 22, 2015, the Supreme Court confirmed the second trial decision with the insurrection conspiracy charge not guilty and the insurrection provocation charge guilty and sentenced him to 9 years in prison. The proof of severe sentence was only a few words by him. The 9 members of the UPP including Rep. Lee are imprisoned. The Amnesty International specified Rep. Lee Seok-ki’s name in its report 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. It defined this insurrection provocation case as a clear example of threatening the freedom of expression and expressed deep concerns over human rights situation in Korea. Arresting and detaining someone only based on his or her speech is an international shame. They enforce us. “Keep silence, maintain self-censorship and as such tolerate witch-hunting.” The words and actions of conscience firmly protesting such violence are represented by the effort to save the victims of Rep. Lee Seok-ki’s insurrection conspiracy case. Anyone who value democracy and human rights can join in diverse ways including online petition, participation in events and donation. Join with us today.
