American Student Sentenced to 15 Years in North Korea

The Supreme Court of North Korea on Wednesday sentenced an American student named Otto Warmbier to 15 years of hard labor for acts against the state during his visit to the country. According to Reuters, North Korean media previously reported that 21-year-old economics student Otto Warmbier from Virginia was arrested in January for stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel in Pyongyang. However, North Korean state media in recent reports stated: "The accused confessed to committing serious crimes against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in line with the hostile policies of the United States against this country and endangering the unity of the people of the country." The U.S. government on Wednesday stated that the sentence issued against Otto Warmbier is "unfairly harsh" and called on North Korea to pardon him and release him immediately based on humanitarian principles. Josh Earnest, White House spokesman, emphasized in discussions with the media that North Korea intends to use the detention of this American citizen "for political purposes." Human Rights Watch also condemned the sentencing of this American student. The Japanese news agency Kyodo published a photo of Otto Warmbier being escorted out of court by two military officers, in which, despite his head being bowed, anxiety can be seen on his face. North Korean state media quoted Otto Warmbier's lawyer as saying that the crimes announced for his client are so severe that even death cannot repay the penalty, but he requested the court to reduce the prosecutor's proposed sentence of life imprisonment by one degree. Last month, Otto Warmbier stated at a press conference in Pyongyang that his crime was "very serious and premeditated." According to the travel agency that arranged his trip along with others to North Korea, he was arrested at the airport at the end of a five-day trip during the New Year holidays when leaving the country. The issuance of this American student's sentence comes at a time when North Korea is even more isolated than in the past and under greater international pressure. Last month, the United Nations Security Council approved a new resolution to tighten sanctions against North Korea due to nuclear tests in January and missile tests in February. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, recently stated that the country will soon test a nuclear warhead and a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Such actions would violate the recent Security Council resolution, which even China, North Korea's most important ally, has warned against. Reuters adds that the North Korean regime has a long history of detaining and prosecuting foreign nationals and has used the detention of American citizens to compel American politicians and prominent figures to visit the country. A Korean-Canadian pastor was also sentenced to life imprisonment in December for "subversion" in North Korean labor camps. Additionally, a Korean-American citizen and three South Korean nationals are also imprisoned in North Korea. Nevertheless, in many cases, after issuing heavy sentences against foreign nationals, the North Korean regime releases them. In 2014, three American citizens who were imprisoned in that country were released.