ICC Note: Kenneth Bae, an American citizen and missionary, has been imprisoned by North Korean authorities for over a year in what many see as an attempt by the dictatorship to use him as a bargaining chip with the United States. Kenneth, a devout Christian, was operating a legal tour group inside North Korea when he was arrested. North Korea completely outlaws the practice of Christianity and has publicly executed citizens for owning Bibles. In addition, tens of thousands of Christians are believed to be imprisoned in North Korean labor camps where starvation and execution are a daily part of life.
1/28/2014 North Korea (Time) – A U.S. diplomat on Tuesday called for the release of American citizen Kenneth Bae, who has been imprisoned there since November 2012 and is reportedly in poor health.
Glyn Davis, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, was speaking to reporters in Beijing when he urged Bae’s release, the Associated Press reports. “We hope that they’re willing to release Kenneth Bae,” he said. “His family is understandably very worried about his fate and would like him to be returned to be them.”
Bae, a missionary, was leading a tour group in late 2012 when he was detained and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly working against the government. Davis, who was in Beijing for talks on persuading North Korea to rejoin negotiations about nuclear disarmament, said Bae has been detained longer than any other American and deserves freedom now that he has been tried and convicted.
“North Korea I think has made its point about Kenneth Bae,” he said. “We are in frequent communication with the North Koreans to try to find a resolution to this issue. It’s very, very important to us.”
His comments came hours before Bae’s mother and sister were to meet with Secretary of State John Kerry.
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