US citizen sentenced to 8 years in North Korea for entering the country illegaly by Zuzana Zelenakova

As North Korean media informed Wednesday, US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who was arrested on January 25 for entering the country illegally from China has been sentenced to eight years of hard labor. 30-year-old man from Boston, who worked in South Korea as a teacher reportedly “admitted to all the charges” in the court. “His guilt was confirmed according to the relevant articles of the criminal code of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) at the trial,” said Korean central News Agency. “On this basis, the court sentenced him to eight years of hard labor and a fine of 70 million won.” It is about 700,000 dollars. However, it ! is still not clear why Gomes entered North Korea in first place. According to the experts, Gomes could be freed despite the sentence as North Korea is trying to avoid further deteriorating of the relationship with the US. "The North is not going to hold him for eight years," said Professor Kim Yong-Hyun of Seoul's Dongguk University. "It is likely to suspend the implementation of the sentence and expel him as a goodwill gesture toward the United States." It is not the first time a US citizen was sentenced in the East Asian country for illegal entry. Last year in March, two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, were arrested on North Korean border with China while filming documentary on women trafficking. They were sentenced for twelve years. However, they received formal pardon from the country´s leader Kim Jong-il after a visit from former US President Bill Clinton in August 2009. It was the first visit from US high-ranked official since 2000 and was regarded! as in a very positive way. The two journalists returned home ! together with Clinton.

related story (sgx16960): http://www.france24.com/en/20100407-usa-north-korea-aijalon-...

by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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