국회는 4일 내란음모 혐의를 받고 있는 통합진보당 이석기 의원에 대한 체포동의안을 가결했다.
무기명 비밀 투표로 진행된 이석기 의원 체포동의안 표결 결과, 재석의원 289명 중, 찬성 258표, 반대 14표, 기권 11표, 무효 6표로 최종 가결됐다.
이 의원은 국회의 결정에 따라 빠르면 목요일까지 수원지검에서 영장 발부 결정을 대기할 예정이다.
국회 본회의를 통과한 현역 의원 체포동의안 가운데 내란음모 혐의와 관련된 사 례는 이번이 헌정 사상 처음이다.
이석기 의원은 “역대 독재정권이 조작했던 내란음모 사건들은 한건도 예외없이 재심에서 무죄 판결을 받았다. 저에 대한 혐의도 불과 몇 달만에 무죄 판결이 날 것이다”라며 혐의를 전면 부인했다.
새누리당 황우여 대표는 이석기 의원 체포동의안 표결에 앞서 “오늘 새누리당은 대한민국의 자유민주적 기본질서 대한민국 사랑하는 애국 기반을 다시 한 번 굳건히 한다는 결연한 의지로 체포동의안 표결 처리에 임할 것”이라고 말했다.
민주당 전병헌 의원도 대한민국의 자유 민주주의적 질서를 부정하고 헌법 가치를 침해하는 어떤 기조도 용납하지 않겠다는 입장을 밝혔다.
민주당은 새누리당과 국정원을 겨냥해 “신종 메카시즘을 빌미로 야당을 음해하고 공안정국을 조성하려고 하고 있다”고 했다.
국정원은 18명의 자택과 사무실 압수수색을 마치고 통진당 관계자 3명을 체포했다. 그 외 좌파 인사 6명도 RO 활동 및 북한과의 관계에 대한 수사를 위해 소환할 예정이다.
한편 통진당은 국정원이 이념적 분쟁을 부추기고 있다고 주장하고 있다. 통진당 이정희 대표는 국정원이 공개한 녹취록에서 ‘무기 확보’와 ‘기간시설 타격’하라는 이 의원의 발언에 대해 농담에 지나지 않는다고 해명하며 국정원이 무분별한 여론재판을 벌리고 있다고 주장했다.
이 대표는 기자회견을 열어 “130여명 가운데 한 두 명이 우연히도 동영상을 불법 촬영한 매수된 자와 같은 분반에 속해 토론하면서 총기탈취니 시설파괴 등을 말했을 뿐이고, 총기탈취니 시설파괴는 불가능하다는 것을 잘 알고 있기에 농담처럼 말하거나 누군가 말해도 웃어넘겼습니다”라고 말했다.
이 의원의 변호인단과 통진당 의원들은 기자회견을 열어 "국가정보원이 수사자료를 유출하고 이것을 그대로 언론에 기사화하는 것은 심각한 기본권 침해행위이자 범법행위"라며 "무죄추정 원칙 등 기본권을 침해해 형사사법질서 자체를 형해화 시켰다"고 비난했다.
한편, 지난 대선에서 민주당이 통진당과 연대하면서 “이 의원을 국회에 들여 놓은 것”에 대한 새누리당의 비난이 이어지면서 국회에서의 정치적 논쟁은 계속될 것으로 예상된다. 일부 새누리당의 의원은 민주당 문재인 의원이 청와대 민정수석을 맡은 노무현 정부 당시 이석기 의원이 국가보안법 위반으로 투옥 중이던 2003년 두 번의 광복절 특별사면을 받았다는 이유로 문 의원 책임론을 주장했다.
민주당은 “집권세력은 꿈에라도 이번 사건에 기대 공안정국을 조성해서 국정원 개혁 요구를 회피하거나 새누리당 정권의 실정을 덮으려 하지 말라. 국민이 용서치 않을 것”이라고 정부와 여당에 경고하는 한편 지체 없이 이 의원 체포동의안을 당론으로 찬성키로 결정하면서 통진당과의 분리를 강조했다.
경찰 38개 중대, 2,600여명과 경찰차량은 국회를 둘러싸고 벽을 쌓은 뒤 방문객들의 신원을 일일이 확인하며 경비 태세를 강화했다. 통일부는 국정원 수사 대상자들의 과거 방북 사실을 확인 중에 있다고 전했다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Assembly passes motion to arrest Lee
By Lee Joo-hee
The National Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the motion for the arrest of lawmaker Rep. Lee Seok-ki, suspected of conspiring in an armed revolt, giving the green light to a full-force probe by the National Intelligence Service against the leftist group.
Of the 289 attending lawmakers, 258 voted in approval while 14 disapproved and 11 abstained in the secret vote held at the one-point plenary session. Another six were counted as invalid.
Following the Assembly’s decision, Lee of the Unified Progressive Party is expected to be called in by the Suwon District Court to review his arrest by as early as Thursday afternoon.
Lee, whose arrest needed parliamentary consent as an incumbent lawmaker, has denied all charges including instigating and conspiring in an armed rebellion and forming an anti-state underground group known as “revolutionary organization.”
The last parliamentary approval for an arrest of a lawmaker during session was for Rep. Hyun Young-hee, who was charged for nomination lobbying last September.
If Lee refuses to appear at court, the court can conduct the review for arrest without his attendance if he continues to ignore the notification for a total of 15 days.
Prior to the vote, Lee reiterated his innocence, saying, “Just as how all the manipulated revolt charges during the past authoritarian government have been ruled innocent in retrials, the Assembly approving (my arrest) for charges that will be proven not guilty in just several months will remain as a major error for a long time,” Lee said. He denied all allegations by the NIS and accused the authorities of oppressing him without grounds and through the distortion of truth.
The major parties with a total of 280 seats as well as the minor Progressive Justice Party decided earlier in the day to pass the motion.
“The investigative authorities must swiftly and fairly investigate the unprecedented allegation of denying the system and conspiring to revolt to clarify the truth and punish any crime,” said Saenuri spokesman Yoo Il-ho.
DP floor leader Rep. Jun Byung-hun said, “The process at the Assembly has now completed. We will be watching the strictly fair decision of the judiciary,” adding that the DP will not tolerate any attempt to damage the Constitution and democracy.
The party, however, also warned against any attempt to politicize the probe, denouncing the Saenuri Party for their “attempt at new McCarthyism” by linking Lee with the DP’s political stance, and the questionable timing of the probe by the NIS.
The NIS has completed a search and seizure at 18 offices and homes, detained three UPP members and plans to summon six other left-leaning activists to question the activities of RO and its possible connection with North Korea.
Lee, in particular, is accused of forming the underground revolutionary group and instigating and conspiring with his colleagues to prepare for a war against the South Korean government should Pyongyang issue an order to attack upon its missile launch and nuclear test from 2012 to 2013. The Justice Ministry said the request to arrest Lee and other suspects was based on a comprehensive collection of testimonies, documents and other evidence.
The NIS is currently looking into the bank accounts and financial transactions of Lee, reports said.
The minor UPP protested the authorities for instigating an ideological war.
UPP chairwoman Lee Jung-hee claimed that the remarks in question made during the secret RO meeting in May regarding a need to “secure firearms” and “blow up government facilities” if a clash with North Korea broke out, were nothing more than a joke, and that the NIS was attempting a public trial against them without grounds.
“Of the 130 attendants, one or two participants in the event mentioned such remarks and it is said that they were either said as a joke and others laughed them off,” Lee said in a press briefing.
The legal representative of Lee and the UPP executives also held a press conference and said, “The NIS is playing politics in the name of their investigative rights.”
They accused the spy agency for leaking facts to the media that went against the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” arguing that that RO does not exist.
Political wrangling, meanwhile, is expected to continue over at the Assembly, as the Saenuri Party continues to throw invectives at the DP for “letting Lee in to the parliament” by aligning with the group in the general elections last year. Some of the party members also called for the responsibility of DP Rep. Moon Jae-in, former chief of staff during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, citing the presidential pardon on 2003 on Lee who was serving a jail term for National Security Act violation.
The DP shot back such attempts saying, “The Saenuri Party should not even dream of creating a new situation by using this case in hopes of avoiding the calls for NIS reform or the criticisms towards the ruling camp.” The party also hoped to highlight their disassociation with the UPP by deciding to approve Lee’s arrest motion without delay.
Police, meanwhile, dispatched 2,600 forces around the Assembly and blocked the entrances with police vehicles to prepare for any collision by protesters.
The Unification Ministry said they were looking into any past visits by individuals involved in the NIS probe to North Korea.
(
jhl@heraldcorp.com)
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