UN urged to prepare to indict North Korea for criminal acts

GENEVA, MAR 10: The United Nations (UN) is urged to appoint a legal experts in preparation for legal proceedings against North Korea’s leadership on charges of crime against humanity.
Member of its Investigation Commission, Marzuki Darusman made the call, saying that UN Human Rights Council must address North Korea’s accountability in view of the recent situation related to the country’s leader.
“UN Human Rights Council must think of appointing an independent group of experts for this purpose,” he said to a panel outside of a forum here, as quoted by Reuters.
He said, the call was made following the murder of Kim Jong-nam, who is the brother and a critic of North Korea Kim Jong-un’s leadership, in Malaysia last February.

In 2014, a UN investigation commission produced a report, after interviews and public hearing held with those who had defected, listing North Korea’s biggest violations including mass-prison camps, starvations and executions which should be brought to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The report in 2014 was rejected by Pyongyang stating that the North Korean leader, Kin Jong-un may be personally responsible on those crimes against humanity.
Experts are hoping that an ad-hoc tribunal can be set-up on North Korea one day, as China is expected to use its veto power to reject any steps taken in the UN Security Council that will drag its ally to the ICC.
“Kim Jong-nam’s murder should be an eye-opener,” said Lee Jung-Hoon, South Korea’s ambassador, concerning human rights in North Korea, in that session.
He is of the view that the murder enabled the public to see for themselves, for the first time, “what kind of regime we are really facing”.
“If North Korea can do this to Kim’s brother, to Kim’s uncle (Jang Song Thaek who was killed in 2013) and all the elimination of leftists and rightists, can you imagine the sort of life if you are a prisoner in a North Korean jail with more than 100,000 people in it?” he said.
An Australian judge, Michael Kirby who chaired the investigation in 2014 said, witnesses’ testimonies will be used when a tribunal and prosecutors are appointed.