A United Nations expert on human rights in North Korea has warned that the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, could be responsible for crimes against humanity.
Marzuki Darusman is the agency’s top investigator for human rights in North Korea. On Monday, he released a report on a UN investigation into human rights abuses in the closed country.
The report said the UN Human Rights Council should tell Kim and other senior North Korean leaders that they could be held responsible for human rights crimes.
The council will review the report next month.
North Korea’s human rights abuses are among the worst in the world. UN investigators say the abuses are the worst since World War II.
UN investigators have said North Korean leaders should be tried at the International Criminal Court. The UN Security Council would have to approve the prosecution.
China and Russia are members of the council. They do not support the prosecution of the North’s leaders. They can veto any Security Council decision.
UN investigators have accused the North Korean government of operating a large system of prisons holding political prisoners. They say North Korean officials have ordered murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence.
I’m Jonathan Evans.
This story was based on information from VOANews.com. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted this report for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.
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Words in This Story
review - v. to look at or examine
prosecution - n. the act of holding a trial against a criminal suspect
abortion - n. an operation to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus
