American Held In North Korea For More Than A Year Has Died

A US student who was held in North Korea for 15 months has died after being released from detainment in a coma.

Otto Warmbier, 22, was returned to home soil last week after being sentenced to 15 years hard labour for trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel in 2015.

North Korea said that the illness botulism led to the coma, but a team of US doctors dispute the claims, reports the BBC.

Credit: PA

A statement from Mr Warmbier's family reads: "It is our sad duty to report that our son, Otto Warmbier, has completed his journey home. Surrounded by his loving family, Otto died today at 2:20pm.

The statement adds: "He looked very uncomfortable - almost anguished. Although we would never hear his voice again, within a day the countenance of his face changed - he was at peace. He was home and we believe he could sense that."

Credit: PA

It's since been revealed that his family found out just a few days before his release that he had been in a coma just after the sentencing.

The 22-year-old was reportedly unable to speak, see or react to verbal commands.

Dr Daniel Kanter was treating Otto and told the BBC he was in 'a state of unresponsive wakefulness'.

He was made to confess to his crime in front of North Korean television cameras last year, where he said he was thankful for the 'opportunity to apologise' for the crime, 'to beg for forgiveness' and to 'beg for any assistance' to save his life.

Otto's father Fred addressing the media. Credit: PA

A friend he met on the trip, Danny Gratton, described the moment he saw Otto get arrested.

Mr Gratton said: "We were the last two people to go through passport control. We handed over our passports and the guy pointed at Otto and pointed to the door. Two security guards came over and ushered him away.

"I made an ironic comment. I actually said, 'Well we won't be seeing you again'. He sort of laughed at me and that was the last we saw of him.

"They made the decision to take an American. It was just his time, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Source: BBC

Featured Image Credit: PA

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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