April 9, 2010
The North Korean government's announcement on the sentencing of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a U.S. citizen, raises serious concerns about whether his trial was fair, especially given the lack of transparency and extremely harsh punishment for a vaguely worded charge, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. Gomes was sentenced to eight years of hard labor and fined the equivalent of US$700,000 for illegal entry and "hostile acts" against North Korea. — Kay Seok, Human Rights Watch