The parents of Otto Warmbier said Tuesday that North Korea should be listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“North Korea is not a victim. They’re terrorists. They kidnapped Otto. They tortured him,” Fred Warmbier, Otto’s father, said on Fox News. “They purposely and intentionally injured Otto.”
Otto Warmbier was a student at the University of Virginia when he was arrested in 2016 for trying to steal a propaganda poster from his hotel. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor, but the North Korean authorities claimed he fell into a coma after a brain injury one month into his sentencing.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier said their son was not in a coma when he landed and claimed that when they first saw him he was making “an inhuman” wailing sound. They said their son was left blind, deaf and required a feeding tube. North Korea claimed he had contracted botulism, but U.S. doctors said his injuries were not consistent with that diagnosis. He died six days after returning home.
“We owe it to the world to list North Korea as a state sponsor of terror,” Mr. Warmbier said.
President Trump tweeted about the interview as well.
“Great interview on @foxandfriends with the parents of Otto Warmbier: 1994 - 2017. Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
Great interview on @foxandfriends with the parents of Otto Warmbier: 1994 - 2017. Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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