In strong words, the father of an American college student who was detained in North Korea, slammed the country as a terroristic nation, but he had little to say about his son's condition. Today, his doctors in the USA revealed that Warmbier has a severe neurological injury.
Fred Warmbier also criticized the Obama administration, giving credit to President Trump for returning Otto to the United States. He says his son was living in a "pariah regime" in North Korea.
"Based upon our analysis of those images, the brain injury likely occurred in the preceding weeks", he said.
Otto Warmbier was arrested in January 2016 and charged with "hostile acts" against North Korea over allegedly stealing a political propaganda poster from his hotel.
During the press conference - which was held at Wyoming High School, Otto Warmbier's alma mater - Otto's father, Fred Warmbier, noted the family has doubts about North Korea's version of events.
Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, called for an investigation into what happened to Warmbier.
"We're going to leave that to the doctors (to explain) today", he said. North Korea claimed it had released him on "humanitarian grounds", without providing specifics of the situation.
Tension has escalated on the Korean peninsula over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests since past year. He called on the country to release three other Americans now held there. "No other family should have to endure what the Warmbiers have". Danny Gratton was on the same tour of the country as Warmbier, and the two had struck up a friendship before the latter was detained in 2016.
"We did what we could, we tried to stay low, we were advised that it was important that you don't upset the North Koreans", Warmbier said.
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But Stewart repeatedly blasted the former Washington lobbyist as a product of the "swamp" Trump had pledged to drain. So was almost every Democratic member of the state's House delegation and statehouse and local-elected officials.
That was used as evidence in his hourlong trial. He received a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment with hard labor.
Warmbier said even if the North Korean story was true, there's still no excuse for keeping a 15-month coma a secret until last week and denying him access to top-notch medical care.
This story has been corrected to show that Otto Warmbier was presented to media for his confession in North Korea in 2016, not 2015, and on February 29, not in March. "Earlier this year Cindy and I decided the time for strategic patience was over".
Warmbier's release comes as three other USA citizens are still being held in North Korea.
There is speculation that Warmbier's brain injuries were caused by physical abuse in North Korea. He said they made multiple trips from their suburban Cincinatti home to Washington over the time of Otto's captivity. Some were in tears as he spoke to them.
"I don't know what being in shock is, but I'm pretty sure I was", he said. "He's now home with his family, and I am so tremendously proud of Otto".
Rodman met North Korean Olympic athletes, including judo gold medalist An Kum Ae, reported the AP, which has a bureau in North Korea's capital of Pyongyang. "And also we feel that you are an old friend".
Dennis Rodman bearing gifts.
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