U.S. student given 15 years hard labour in N Korea ‘for stealing propaganda’

An American student has been sentenced to 15 years hard labour after admitting stealing propaganda material in North Korea. Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia undergraduate student, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial at the North’s Supreme Court. He was charged with subversion. In a statement made before his trial, the 21-year-old told reporters in Pyongyang he wanted the banner “as a trophy” for the mother of a friend.

I urged the humanitarian release of Otto, and they agreed to convey our request.

Former Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico

Warmbier was arrested in early January as he tried to leave the country after visiting as a tourist with a New Year’s tour group. He was seen emotionally begging for forgiveness during the news conference. He said he had made “the worst mistake of my life” by stealing a propaganda banner from the staff-only area of a Pyongyang hotel. The student was allegedly being offered a car worth $10,000 (£7,200) if he successfully returned to the US with the political slogan.

Otto Warmbier