RantCrush Top 5: June 20, 2017

Yesterday, 22-year-old Otto Warmbier died, per a statement from his family. He was released from North Korea a week ago after 17 months in detention. He traveled to North Korea for a few days, but North Korean officials claim he stole a propaganda poster from the hotel he was staying at and he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. By the time he was released, it was revealed that he had spent the past year in a coma, and he also had “extensive loss of brain tissue.” Despite Warmbier’s condition, his father commended the Trump Administration for bringing him back to the U.S.

Now the China-based travel group Young Pioneer Tours, which organized the tour Warmbier was on, says it will no longer take U.S. travelers to North Korea, as the risks are too high. Three U.S. citizens and one Canadian pastor are still imprisoned in North Korea. But the death of Otto Warmbier will likely obstruct any attempts at improving relations with the country, as a lot of people are outraged by this treatment of a U.S. citizen. “I believe it’s going to set back any serious discussion about a diplomatic dialogue until this is cleared up,” said former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, an expert on North Korea, adding that the main focus must now be to get the other Americans out.

From Otto Warmbier’s 2016 arrest to his untimely death, here’s a timeline of the 22-year-old’s North Korean captivity. pic.twitter.com/MmC7uOPUPE

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 20, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.