U.S. student in coma dies days after release from North Korea

T TV Tuesday 20/June/2017 12:28 PM
By: Times News Service

Otto Warmbier, the American student who was imprisoned in North Korea before being returned home in a coma, died Monday in a Cincinnati hospital.
Warmbier, a UVA student, was arrested for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan and was sentenced to 15 years hard labor. He was held for 17 months.
The regime said that it had released him "on humanitarian grounds".
The 22-year-old returned just last week with a severe brain injury. His family says he was unable to see, speak or respond to verbal commands.
Warmbier's father last week said the family did not believe North Korea's explanation for what happened to his son.
"Even if you believe their explanation of botulism and a sleeping pill causing the coma, and we don't, there's no excuse for any civilized nation to have kept his condition secret and denied him top-notch medical care for so long."
President Trump noting the somber news Monday:
"At least we got him home to be with his parents.. It's a brutal regime. We'll be able to handle it."
A U.N. human rights investigator called on North Korea Friday to explain why the American was returned in a coma after more than a year in detention there.This comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, and as three americans are still being held captive in the country. A US official said earlier on Monday that the United States was concerned for the welfare of those still in custody and that, "we definitely would like to see them return home as soon as possible."