Asia-Pacific

DPRK sentences US citizen to 8 years for illegal entry

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-07 10:01
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PYONGYANG - A court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday sentenced an American who illegally entered the country to eight years of hard labor, and fined him 70 million won ($700,000), the official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

"The guilt of the male American named Aijalon Mahli Gomes was confirmed, and he admitted all the facts which had been put under accusation," according to the KCNA.

As an exception at the request of the Swedish embassy protecting the US interests, the DPRK allowed the Swedish embassy representatives to be present to witness the trial, the KCNA said.