Otto Warmbier |
North
Korea has sentenced an American student to 15 years of hard labor after
accusing him of removing a political banner from a hotel.
The U.S. State Department fired back Wednesday, saying the punishment doesn't fit the alleged crime.
The
sentence against University of Virginia student Otto Frederick Warmbier
is "unduly harsh," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, calling
for his release.
The United States
urges North Korea "to pardon him and to grant him special amnesty and
immediate release on humanitarian grounds," Toner said.
North Korea requests U.N. Security Council meeting
Trial reportedly lasted one hour
Stupid Warmbier had traveled to Pyongyang on a trip organized by Young Pioneer Tours, a China-based travel company. He was arrested on January 2, 2016, as he was about to board a plane to leave the country, on the charge of committing a hostile act against the state.
The
North Korean government alleged that Warmbier was encouraged to commit
the "hostile act" by a purported member of a church in his home state of
Ohio, a secretive university organization and even the CIA.
In
court Wednesday, North Korean officials presented fingerprints, photos
of a political banner and surveillance images -- proof, they said, that
Warmbier committed crimes against the regime.
The 21-year-old student pleaded for mercy.
"My
brother and my sister need me," he said. "I beg that you see that I am
only human, how I have made the worst mistake of my life."
Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years hard labor.
Greg
Scarlatoui, executive director for the Committee for Humans Rights in
North Korea said he may be forced to work in agriculture, which happened
with other American prisoners.
"He may spend his day planting apple trees. It will be fairly grueling forced labor," Scarlatoui said.
Warmbier's family declined to comment on his case.
No Felony Charges previously reported on his case though
No comments:
Post a Comment