Human Rights Watch, an independent organization, has spoken out on the plight of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, American citizen and prisoner of North Korea. Following are some excerpts from that article.
The North Korean government’s announcement on the sentencing of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a US citizen, raises serious concerns about whether his trial was fair, especially given the lack of transparency and extremely harsh punishment for a vaguely worded charge…
“Trials in North Korea are notoriously unfair, and Gomes’ appears to have been no different,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This whole episode looks like another North Korean charade, with a vague criminal charge and a lack of due process leading to a long prison sentence.”
KCNA announced that Gomes admitted guilt on all charges, but did not provide any additional details to explain the “hostile acts” charge…“Eight years of hard labor in North Korean prison is an extremely harsh punishment,” Robertson said. “North Korean prisons are notorious for torture, forced labor, chronically insufficient food, and a lack of medical treatment.”
I know of three other Americans held captive by North Korea in the past 12 months. Journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, sentenced to 12 years hard labor, were released after almost five months of isolation. Former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, had to intervene on their behalf. The photo above shows Euna and Laura arriving home. Euna’s young daughter and husband await her–now, that has got to be tough.
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