North Korea denies blame for Otto Warmbier’s death

North Korea on Friday denied it tortured American student Otto Warmbier, who died shortly after returning to the United States in a comatose state. The country’s official Korean Central News Agency accused the United States and South Korea of slandering its image despite the “humanitarian” treatment Warmbier received. “Our related institutions are treating criminals who committed crimes against (our) republic strictly based on domestic law and international standards, and Warmbier was no different,” KCNA said. The agency did not release any additional details about why 22-year-old returned in a coma. Warmbier received a 15-year sentence with hard labor in March 2016 after he was accused of stealing a propaganda poster from a Pyongyang hotel. Doctors who treated him following his release said Warmbier suffered a severe neurological injury from an unknown cause.

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