American teacher jailed in North Korea

12 April 2012

North Korea has sentenced an American man to eight years in prison and fined him $700,000 for entering the country illegally.

Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a 30-year-old teacher from Boston working in Seoul, was the fourth US citizen to be arrested in North Korea for trespassing in a year.

A political activist in called Jo Sung-rae said Mr Gomes may have been gone to the north after being inspired by an American missionary who made the trip in December to protest the country's human rights record.

Yoo Ho-yeol, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Korea University, said the North could use Mr Gomes as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme.

Mr Gomes's relatives were said to be "disturbed" by the verdict. Their spokeswoman, Thaleia Schlesinger, said: "The family has no comment beyond that they are praying for him and hoping for his return home as soon as possible."

The three other Americans to be arrested in North Korea over the past 13 months are missionary Robert Park, who was held on Christmas Day and imprisoned until February, and journallists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were in custody from March to August last year until former president Bill Clinton negotiated their release.

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