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North Korea ordered to pay parents, estate of student $500M

By ERIC TUCKER “Before Otto traveled with Trump held a first-of-its-kind the government of Kim experts said there was no
Associated Press a tour group on a five-day summit with North Korean Jong Un “legally and mor- evidence of that.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A fed- trip to North Korea, he was leader Kim Jong Un in June ally” responsible for their The complaint also said
eral judge ordered North a healthy, athletic student 2018 and plans another son’s death. Warmbier was pressed to
Korea to pay more than “We put ourselves and our make a televised confes-
$500 million in a wrongful family through the ordeal sion, then convicted of
death suit filed by the par- of a lawsuit and public trial subversion after a short trial.
ents of Otto Warmbier, an because we promised Otto He was denied commu-
American college student that we will never rest until nication with his family. In
who died shortly after being we have justice for him,” June 2017, his parents were
released from that country. they said in a statement. informed he was in a coma
U.S. District Judge Beryl “Today’s thoughtful opin- and had been in that con-
Howell harshly condemned ion by Chief Judge Howell dition for one year.
North Korea for “barbaric is a significant step on our Though foreign nations are
mistreatment” of Warmbier journey.” generally immune from
in agreeing Monday with The lawsuit, filed in April, de- lawsuits in U.S. courts, How-
his family that the isolated scribes in horrific detail the ell cited several exceptions
nation should be held liable physical abuse Warmbier that she said allowed her
for his death last year. She endured in North Korean to hold North Korea liable.
awarded punitive damag- custody, recounting how Those include the fact that
es and payments covering his parents were “stunned North Korea has been des-
medical expenses, eco- to see his condition” when ignated by the U.S. as a
nomic loss and pain and In this May 3, 2018, file photo, Fred Warmbier, right, and Cindy they boarded a plane to sponsor of terrorism, that
suffering to Fred and Cindy Warmbier, parents of Otto Warmbier, wait for a meeting at the see him upon arrival in the the Warmbiers are U.S. citi-
Warmbier, who alleged United Nations headquarters. U.S. zens and that the actions of
that their son had been Associated Press The 22-year-old was blind the North Korean govern-
held hostage and tortured. and deaf, his arms were ment involved torture and
Warmbier was a University of economics and busi- next year. curled and mangled and hostage taking.
of Virginia student who was ness in his junior year at the The judgment may be he was jerking violently and The penalty awarded to
visiting North Korea with a University of Virginia, with mostly a symbolic victory howling, completely unre- the Warmbiers and to Otto
tour group when he was ar- ‘big dreams’ and both the since North Korea has yet to sponsive to his family’s at- Warmbier’s estate includes
rested and sentenced to 15 smarts and people skills to respond to any of the alle- tempts to comfort him. His punitive damages as well
years of hard labor in March make him his high school gations in court and there’s once straight teeth were as damages for economic
2016 on suspicion of steal- class salutatorian, home- no practical mechanism misaligned, and he had losses, pain and suffering
ing a propaganda poster. coming king, and prom to force it do so. But the an unexplained scar on his and medical expenses.
He died in June 2017, shortly king,” the judge wrote. “He family may nonetheless be foot. An expert said the in- The lawsuit was brought on
after he returned to the U.S. was blind, deaf, and brain able to recoup damages juries suggested he’d been the Warmbiers’ behalf by
in a coma and showing ap- dead when North Korea through a Justice Depart- tortured with electric shock, Richard Cullen, a promi-
parent signs of torture while turned him over to U.S. gov- ment-administered fund for and a neurologist later nent Virginia lawyer and
in custody. ernment officials for his final victims of state-sponsored concluded that the col- former U.S. attorney. He
In holding North Korean re- trip home.” acts of terrorism, and may lege student suffered brain told The Associated Press
sponsible, Howell said the The arrest and death of look to seize other assets damage, probably from that while “nothing will
government had seized Warmbier came during a held by the country outside a loss of blood flow to the ever bring Otto back to the
Warmbier for “use as a time of heightened ten- of North Korea. brain for five to 20 minutes. Warmbiers or erase their
pawn in that totalitarian sion between the U.S. and Fred and Cindy Warmbier, North Korea has denied memories of his horrid last
state’s global shenanigans North Korea over the coun- who are from a suburb of Warmbier was tortured and 18 months,” the judge’s de-
and face-off with the Unit- try’s nuclear weapons pro- Cincinnati, said they were has said he contracted cision was “very good news
ed States.” gram. President Donald thankful the court found botulism, though medical for his family and friends.”q