#METOO/Court dismisses actor's motion to remove travel restrictions

Taipei, Jan. 3 (CNA) The Shilin District Court has dismissed a motion by Taiwanese actor and singer Aaron Yan (炎亞綸) to remove a travel ban that was imposed after he was indicted in November on charges of filming intimate videos of a minor.

The court said the prohibition on Yan traveling abroad, which is in place until Feb. 25, was an appropriate security measure and that his rights related to living and working in Taiwan had not been affected.

Yan is a suspect in a serious crime, and he is required to be present in court to confirm facts and evidence, the court ruled.

It also voiced concern that as a well-known celebrity who could work overseas, he clearly had the financial wherewithal to live and stay abroad, and given those factors, the court decided to dismiss the motion.

Yan also requested the court to send a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) ordering it to reverse its decision not to approve the renewal of his passport while the travel ban was still in place.

But the court rejected the request, saying Yan could file an administrative appeal against MOFA.

The actor was indicted by the Shilin District Prosecutors Office in November 2023, for filming and leaking intimate videos of an underaged person with whom he had a physical relationship, and was banned from leaving the country until Feb. 25, 2024.

Yan's recent appeal came because he had overseas jobs scheduled in January, he said.

He argued that he did not pose a flight risk because he was not a foreign national, had a permanent residence in Taiwan that he returned to after working abroad, and was cooperating with the investigation, the district court said.

Yan also said he needed to work overseas to make a living and save up funds needed to settle this case and to donate to charity, according to the district court.

The ruling can be appealed.

(By Hsieh Hsing-en and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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