North Korea sentences American to 6 years in labour camp

North Korea’s Supreme Court on Sunday sentenced Matthew Miller, a U.S. citizen, to six years of hard labour for entering the country illegally and trying to commit espionage. At a trial that lasted about 90 minutes, the court said Miller, 24, of Bakersfield, California, tore up his tourist visa at Pyongyang’s airport upon arrival on April 10 and admitted to having the “wild ambition” of experiencing prison life so that he could secretly investigate the North Korean human rights situation. Miller, who waived the right to a lawyer, was handcuffed and led from the courtroom after his sentencing. The court ruled that it would not hear any appeals to its decision.

He committed acts hostile to the DPRK while entering the territory of the DPRK under the guise of a tourist last April.

Statement released by North Korean authorities

Earlier, it had been believed that Miller had sought asylum when he entered North Korea. During the trial, however, the prosecution argued that it was a ruse and that Miller also falsely claimed to have secret information about the U.S. military in South Korea on his iPad and iPod. Miller is one of three Americans now being held in North Korea. A trial is expected soon for Jeffrey Fowle, who entered the North as a tourist but was arrested in May for leaving a Bible at a provincial club. The third American, Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae, is serving out a 15-year sentence for alleged “hostile acts.” All three have appealed to the U.S. government to send a senior statesman to Pyongyang to intervene on their behalf.

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