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Int'l prosecution needed to stop North Korea's crimes against humanity - UN

Published:Tuesday | February 18, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Crowds bow to the statues of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il (right) and his father, North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung, which tower over the capital Pyongyang on a hill in North Korea on Sunday when they marked the anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong Il. AP

GENEVA (AP):

A United Nations (UN) panel warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un yesterday that he may be held accountable for orchestrating widespread crimes against civilians in the secretive Asian nation, ranging from systematic executions to torture, rape, and mass starvation.

It is unusual for a UN report to directly implicate a nation's leader. But in a letter accompanying a yearlong investigative report, the chairman of a three-member UN commission of inquiry, retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, directly warned Kim that international prosecution is needed "to render accountable all those, including possibly yourself, who may be responsible for crimes against humanity".

"Even without being directly involved in crimes against humanity, a military commander may be held responsible for crimes against humanity committed by forces under the commander's effective command and control," Kirby wrote.

Stern warning

He urged Kim to take "all necessary and reasonable measures" to stop crimes against humanity and insure that they are properly investigated and prosecuted. Kirby added, however, that there was no indication that North Korea would do so.

The investigative commission's 372-page report is a wide-ranging indictment of North Korea for policies including political prison camps with 80,000 to 120,000 people; state-sponsored abductions of North Korean, Japanese and other nationals; and lifelong indoctrination.