Could Kim Jong Un Go To Jail?
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Provided by IBT Media
The
family members of Japanese abduction victims want to take North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un to court for what they say are human
rights abuses.
The
relatives are heading to The Hague next week to ask the
International Criminal Court to launch a case against the North
Korean leader for failing to provide information on the whereabouts
of their loved ones. They will hand over a petition demanding an
investigation into the abductions of more than 100 Japanese.
The
relatives say Kim Jong Un knows that a number of their family
members are alive and that “their freedom is severely
restricted,” according to Kyodo
News.
A majority of their loved ones disappeared in the 1970s.
In
2002, North Korea confirmed that 13 Japanese were taken in the
1970s and 1980s for spy training. Five were later returned to
Japan, according to Reuters.
Reports
have claimed that North Korea could be responsible for anywhere
between 100 to 470 missing Japanese. The National Police Agency
suggests that more than 850 people have been abducted by the
country, according to The
Japan Times.
But
getting Kim Jong Un to the International Criminal Court is not an
easy feat.
“Arresting
Kim Jong Un and bringing him in would be rather difficult, but it’s
extremely important to show that there are human rights abuses
taking place,” Kazuhiro Araki, who leads a support group for the
family members, told The
Japan Times.
Teruaki
Masumoto is one of eight people traveling to the court to ask
what happened to her sister, Rumiko, although North Korean
officials have reportedly said her sister died.
But
family members are hopeful that their petition will lead to more
attention to their cause due to South Korea's increased
communication with North Korea for the Olympics.
“Right
now, with the Olympics, South Korea is really making a connection
with the North, which we did not expect,” Araki said.
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