The comments published by KCNA were North Korea's first reaction to Otto Warmbier's death in a United States hospital on Monday [Tuesday NZ Time] after it released him for what it called humanitarian reasons.
"Unfortunately, the terrible torturous mistreatment our son received at the hands of the North Koreans ensured that no other outcome was possible beyond the sad one we experienced today", said Fred Warmbier as he announced his son's death. South Korea said the women defected on their own, while North Korea claimed they were deceived and abducted. It said that the public opinion Warmbier had died due to beating and torture was "groundless".
This can indeed lead to a comatose state if left untreated, which makes this case even more hard to investigate although Otto's family and doctors aren't buying it. And the focus on his dying "suddenly" after returning to the USA sounds like an attempt to blame his care here rather than what happened to him there.
"On behalf of the entire State Department and the United States government, I extend my condolences to the Warmbier family, and offer my prayers as they enter a time of grief no parent should ever know".
Warmbier was sent back to the U.S.in a state of unresponsive wakefulness, according to doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
North Korean officials claimed that Warmbier's coma was caused by botulism and a sleeping pill, though doctors found no evidence of the disease, and believe he was beaten until he went into cardiopulmonary arrest.
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They said the measure missed delivering a GOP promise to Americans "to repeal Obamacare and lower their health care costs". Difficult, because several hospital and medical associations and the AARP also oppose the bill.
His family declined an autopsy.
"I was just so happy to see the kid released", Rodman said about the day he heard Warmbier was being released in an interview on Good Morning America.
He said North Korea's treatment of Warmbier demonstrated "a basic disregard for human rights, for human dignity".
The Warmbiers also met with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who also served as US ambassador to the United Nations, who said he made numerous efforts to bring their son home. North Korea has accelerated its development of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles since 2009, when it walked away from six-party talks involving the US, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan. It warned that such actions would force North Korea to become even stricter in its way of dealing with other U.S. nationals held in the country. Let's just call this statement by North Korea what this is: trolling.
A funeral service for Otto Warmbier has been held at his old school in Ohio, US.
"You can get a high-level visit from Washington, and that is a good propaganda coup domestically to say, 'Look they came, they bowed before me, and I am a benevolent ruler getting and freeing these people, '" Terry said. It's like going to like Istanbul, Turkey, or any place like that. His release was never requested, Pyongyang says.
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