[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Former lawmaker Cha Myung-jin, who was prosecuted for insulting the bereaved families including the 'Sewol Ferry tent slander,' has filed an appeal to request a citizen trial.
According to the legal community on the 3rd, Cha, who was indicted for defamation and insult under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., filed an appeal to the Supreme Court after courts repeatedly rejected his request for a citizen trial.
On April 15, 2019, Cha posted on his SNS, "Sewol Ferry bereaved families. They shamelessly exploit the public's sympathy for their children's deaths, consuming it greedily, and even to the extent of picking the bones clean. They are truly insufferable."
Before the April 15 general election last year, during election debates, he made statements such as "I already know about articles reporting that in May 2018, Sewol Ferry volunteers and bereaved families engaged in indecent acts inside a tent," which led to charges of defaming the Sewol Ferry bereaved families.
However, Cha argued, "Although the expressions may be somewhat harsh or exaggerated, they fall within the scope of freedom of expression and do not constitute defamation," and applied for a citizen trial. In response, the Incheon District Court judged, "The issues of the case are complex, and since the defamation involves secrets related to the victim's private life, proceeding with a citizen trial could cause significant problems," and the Seoul High Court also dismissed the request.
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