VIDEO: North Korea Sentences U.S. College Student to 15 Years’ Hard Labor
Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old economics student at the University of Virginia, was found guilty of committing “severe crimes” against the state for allegedly attempting to steal a political banner from a hotel in Pyongyang.
The North Korean government found Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old economics student at the University of Virginia, guilty of committing “severe crimes” against the state for allegedly attempting to steal a political banner from a hotel in the capital, Pyongyang.
The Guardian reports:
Warmbier’s conviction by the North’s supreme court, announced on Wednesday by China’s Xinhua news agency, comes soon after the UN security council agreed a new round of sanctions in response to the regime’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch. The White House also announced a fresh round of sanctions on North Korea in response to those same incidents on Wednesday. …
The US accused North Korea of using Warmbier for propaganda purposes after he made a stage-managed confession in late February.
In a prepared statement read out before TV cameras, Warmbier said a member of Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio, described as the mother of a friend, had offered him a used car worth $10,000 if he could return with the banner as a “trophy” from North Korea. …
Warmbier broke down in tears as he acknowledged and apologised for his alleged crime, which he described as “the worst mistake of my life”. …
Warmbier’s parents pleaded with the North to show leniency, citing his youth and the fact that he had made a full confession in public.
Read more here.
—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO…If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.