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Otto Warmbier, US student sent home from N Korea, dies

The American student who was released last week after being held in captivity for more than 15 months in North Korea has died, his family says.

Otto Warmbier, 22, returned to the US last Tuesday, but it emerged he had been in a coma for a year. North Korea said botulism and a sleeping pill led to the coma, but US doctors have disputed this account.

Mr Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for attempting to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel.

"It is our sad duty to report that our son, Otto Warmbier, has completed his journey home. Surrounded by his loving family, Otto died today at 2:20pm," a statement from the family said.

It said the student was "unable to speak, unable to see and unable to react to verbal commands".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40335169

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Reply 1

y.u.mad.bro?

Truly sad. Don't understand what North Korea gained out of this.

Reply 2

999tigger

I agree truly sad to be caught up in International politics. Something as petty as a sign. Wonder what Trump will do as it looks like they did this to him rather than it being an accident.

Reply 3

Dodgypirate

It's all good that we treat Kim Jong Un like an utter clown, but he and his regime are evil and capable of the worst.

Hope his family can live on peacefully.

RIP

Reply 4

Meany Pie

Why the **** would someone go to a well known oppressive dictatorship and knowingly break the law?

Reply 5

Ciel.

'The American student who was released last week after being held in captivity for more than 15 months in North Korea has died, his family says.'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40335169
omg this is so sad he like idk just seemed like such a fun person to be around IM SO UPSET : < < < i ****ing need a drink, such a pointless death i feel so bad for his family

Reply 6

Carpe Diem Jay

Sad times for his family.

I guess he's taught everyone not to mess around if you ever go to NK.

Reply 7

Ciel.

Original post by Carpe Diem Jay

Sad times for his family.

I guess he's taught everyone not to mess around if you ever go to NK.

****ing kim cant even take a joke, i cant believe that he hasnt been assassinated yet

ikr, its messed up

Original post by Meany Pie

Why the **** would someone go to a well known oppressive dictatorship and knowingly break the law?

North Korea could easily have framed him, and used that as an excuse to detain him.

Regardless, I don't exactly think ****ing dying is a fair punishment for stealing a ****ing poster.

Comments like yours disgust me tbh.

Nothing will be done about this and there will be little to no repercussions for N. Korea. Sad.

Reply 12

Meany Pie

Original post by Aceadria

Nothing will be done about this and there will be little to no repercussions for N. Korea. Sad.

What do you expect them to do, bomb a few schools?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 13

T134O2L5E6

Original post by Meany Pie

Why the **** would someone go to a well known oppressive dictatorship and knowingly break the law?

If you watch the video where he confesses you will see he has already been beaten to near death. I doubt very much that he "knowingly" broke the law and in fact I doubt he even broke the law. North Korea has an utterly barbaric and disgusting regime controlling it and a I deeply pity the North Koreans who don't have the most basic human rights.

Reply 14

Veil Fail

Truly sad but it was a truly stupid decision to go to north Korea and he paid the ultimate price

Reply 15

stoyfan

Original post by Meany Pie

Why the **** would someone go to a well known oppressive dictatorship and knowingly break the law?

You don't actually know whether he really stole that piece of propaganda.

Reply 16

Meany Pie

Original post by stoyfan

You don't actually know whether he really stole that piece of propaganda.

I guess we'll never know.

What we do know is that the 10 other people on the trip had no trouble with the authorities.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 17

stoyfan

Original post by Meany Pie

I guess we'll never know.

What we do know is that the 10 other people on the trip had no trouble with the authorities.

Posted from TSR Mobile

There has to be more to this story but unfortunately we may never know what really happened as Otto died.

Which kinda sucks.

Either way, the tour company is now refusing any American from going to North Korea and 3 Americans are still being held in North Korea.

Reply 18

yellowcar1

Can someone tell me the story behind this? What happened with the poster I understand it was a propaganda poster but what was in the picture for N Korea to get triggered by him taking it? Come on over a picture he becomes brain dead ?

Reply 19

Ciel.

Original post by revision1

Probably nothing too bad because he stole it from a hotel for not only natives, but for tourists as well (he took it from staff only area, though) - it was probably just something about Kim's importance or work ethics etc.. And well... it was never about what was on that poster. But the action itself
Check this out
This is what Otto said in court
"I have made the worst mistake of my life.”
“People and government of the DPR Korea, I beg for forgiveness. I should never have allowed myself to be lured by the US administration.”
“I wish the United States administration never manipulated people like myself to commit crimes against foreign countries.”
'The student’s confused account of the crime also blamed a church member and a secretive university society.'

I think he was either advised to say this - e.g. 'say this and you won't go to jail' or, more likely FORCED to say this, when in reality he probably just took the poster either as a joke, or perhaps to share it with people outside NK, or maybe wanted to sell it, who knows I seriously doubt that the US government would ask him to do something like that.... Kim just hates USA

'
In Washington, US spokesman John Kirby said it was not uncommon for North Korea to detain people on false charges and use detentions for propaganda.'