North Korea court sentences American to six years of hard labor

[JURIST]

The Supreme Court of North Korea [JURIST news archive] on Sunday sentenced an American man to six years of hard labor for committing "hostile acts" against the country. The court convicted 24-year-old California resident Matthew Todd Miller of entering the country on April 10th illegally to commit espionage, a charge that can carry a sentence of five to ten years. The court stated [AP report] that Miller tore up his tourist visa when he arrived at the Pyongyang airport and "admitted to having the 'wild ambition' of experiencing prison life" to investigate the alleged human rights violations occurring in the country. At first Miller was thought to have been seeking political asylum in North Korea, but the prosecution argued that this was false and he was actually in the country to commit espionage. After Miller waived his right to an attorney, the trial lasted approximately 90 minutes, and afterwards the judges stated that an appeal would not be permitted.