US urges North Korea to release American studen

The US has called on North Korea to immediately release an American student sentenced to 15 years' hard labour for crimes against the state, according to the BBC.

Otto Warmbier, 21, was arrested for trying to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel while on a visit in January.

A White House spokesman accused North Koreans of using US citizens as "pawns to pursue a political agenda".
North Korean state media said Warmbier was convicted under an article of the criminal code relating to subversion.
The verdict was handed down by the Supreme Court.

"We strongly encourage the North Korean government to pardon him and grant him special amnesty and immediate release," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, was arrested on 2 January at the airport as he tried to leave North Korea. He was accused of committing "hostile acts".
He later appeared on state TV apparently confessing and saying a church group had asked him to bring back a "trophy" from his trip.

At the time, state news agency KCNA said had gone to North Korea "to destroy the country's unity" and that he had been "manipulated" by the US government.

Source: MENA