North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to life in prison

[webfact]

N. Korea sentences Canadian pastor to life in prison

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — A North Korean court has sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison for what it called crimes against the state.

Hyeon Soo Lim, who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, was given the sentence after a brief trial before the North's Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Further details were not immediately available.

Relatives of Lim have said he travelled to North Korea on Jan. 31 as part of a regular humanitarian mission where he supports a nursing home, a nursery and an orphanage.

They said Lim, who is in his early 60s, has made more than 100 trips to North Korea since 1997 and that his trips are about helping people and are not political.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-16

[z42]

If he lasts even 2 years he'll be lucky. Poor guy

[apetley]

Convicted as a bargaining tool. Stand by for early release in exchange for some concession.

[webfact]

North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to life in prison
BY BNO NEWS

PYONGYANG: -- Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim, who was detained in February during a humanitarian trip to North Korea, has been sentenced to life in prison for anti-state activities.

Lim was sentenced by North Korea’s Supreme Court, but details of the charges have not been disclosed. Lim appeared at a government-arranged news conference in July during which he confessed to activities aimed at toppling the North Korean government and to violating the country’s Ebola quarantine policy.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported the sentencing in a news flash on Wednesday, but provided no other details. The Associated Press news agency, which has a bureau in Pyongyang, said the sentencing came after a brief trial before the North’s Supreme Court.

Full story: http://ethailand.com/breaking-news/north-korea-sentences-canadian-pastor-to-life-in-prison/766/

-- eThailand 2015-12-16

[webfact]

60-year-old pastor gets hard labour for life in North Korea



PARIS: -- North Korea’s highest court has sentenced a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labour for life for subversion, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday (December 16).

Hyeon Soo Lim, the head pastor at a Toronto church that is one of Canada’s largest, has been held by North Korea since February. Earlier this year, he had appeared on North Korean state media confessing to crimes against the state.

North Korea’s supreme court said Lim had attempted to overthrow the North Korean government and undermine its social system with “religious activities” for the past 18 years, Xinhua reported.

The court held that he fabricated anti-North Korean propaganda as part of a US and South Korean-led “human rights racket” against the country, according to Xinhua.

The court said Lim confessed to helping people defect from North Korea, and said he had met the U.S. ambassador to Mongolia regarding the plans, Xinhua reported.

Most North Korean defectors fleeing the isolated, repressive country travel to South Korea via China and Southeast Asia, although it is possible to defect via Mongolia.

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency has not reported on the court’s decision.

North Korea has previously sentenced a Korean-American missionary, Kenneth Bae, to 15 years of hard labour but released him last year after holding him for two years.

In July, Lim appeared at a news conference in North Korea and confessed that he had travelled to the country on the pretext of humanitarian work and gathered information that he used in sermons outside the country to drive the regime to a collapse “with the love of God.”

His church, the 3,000-member Light Korean Presbyterian Church, has said Lim had visited the North more than 100 times since 1997 and has helped establish an orphanage and a nursing home there.

Lim has lived in Canada since 1986 and is a Canadian citizen.

His church said in March that Lim, who was 60 at the time, has “a very serious health problem, very high blood pressure, he’s on a prescription, and his family is anxious to send medicine.”

Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years.

Last year, Pyongyang released three detained Americans including Bae and another man who had left a copy of the Bible at a club. It freed a South Korean national with a US green card in October this year after holding him for six months.

In June, the North’s highest court sentenced two South Koreans accused of spying for Seoul to hard labour for life. The pair are among three South Koreans known to held by the North.

Reuters


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-16

[OMGImInPattaya]

The unfortunate thing is he'll probably be released and traded for some political concession or imprisoned North Korean spy at some point down the road. And don't let his "pastor" cloak fool you...you can bet money he was spying for the CIA or the Canadian authorities.

[johnhw]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

[oneday]

When you stick your head into the lion's mouth you temp fate.

Sticking you head in 100 times virtually guarantees you will eventually get your head bitten off.

[metisdead]

A nonsense post has been removed, members are not under any obligation to read or reply every story posted, if it doesn't interest you, move along please.

[Srikcir]

Sentencing is reminiscent of Thailand's sentencing: life for freedom of speech. The headlines could as easily be -

"A Thailand court has sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison for what it called crimes against the state."

[ChoakMyDee]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

Yup, maybe the west can send all their religious nuts to North Korea?

[SilverBeast]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

Yup, maybe the west can send all their religious nuts to North Korea?

What kind of anti-freedom fascists are you guys?

[h90]

The unfortunate thing is he'll probably be released and traded for some political concession or imprisoned North Korean spy at some point down the road. And don't let his "pastor" cloak fool you...you can bet money he was spying for the CIA or the Canadian authorities.

Sure either a spy or to cause troubles, name: Hyeon Soo Lim.....It is not Pastor John Smith, white, blond blue eye. It is someone who can blend in, who looks like the locals.

[h90]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

Yup, maybe the west can send all their religious nuts to North Korea?

Syria got the same idea.....But they send them to Germany

[johnhw]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

Yup, maybe the west can send all their religious nuts to North Korea?

What kind of anti-freedom fascists are you guys?

why do I get the feeling that your pro-freedom rant might be selective, and would not apply to---say---Muslims?

[SilverBeast]

"......Both North Korea and neighbouring China have clamped down on Christian groups in recent years....."

Rational, reasonable, agreeable news here has been hard to find in the past, particularity in NKorea, but I'd root for a U.S. presidential candidate who added this policy to his platform.

Yup, maybe the west can send all their religious nuts to North Korea?

What kind of anti-freedom fascists are you guys?

why do I get the feeling that your pro-freedom rant might be selective, and would not apply to---say---Muslims?

I can't explain to you your feelings. You'll have to listen to Yoda, "Search your feelings".