TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) voiced deep concern Friday (April 18) over what he described as a troubling decline in Taiwan's judicial integrity, emphasizing growing public demands for courts and prosecutors to safeguard democratic principles and legal standards amid escalating political tensions.
In an early morning Facebook post, Han characterized the current political climate as "the worst of times," lamenting what he perceives as deteriorating fairness in Taiwan's legal and democratic institutions. The legislative leader, who holds the third-highest position in Taiwan's government, urged citizens to persevere toward "a brighter future free from fear and darkness."
Han's statement reiterated public expectations that courts and prosecutors must preserve their independence and integrity. "Judicial bodies must safeguard Taiwan's hard-earned freedom, democracy, and rule of law," he insisted, while explicitly calling for law enforcement agencies to maintain impartiality and resist becoming instruments of any political faction in the increasingly polarized island democracy.
Han's comments follow a controversial investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (台北地檢署) into allegedly fraudulent recall petitions targeting legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨). The probe has already led to searches and questioning of four individuals, including Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), who heads the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT, 國民黨) Taipei City branch. The investigation prompted KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to organize a substantial protest outside the prosecutors' office Thursday evening. ★
