Otto Warmbier's family files claim for seized North Korean cargo ship

[DonViejo]

Source: CNN


By Zachary Cohen, CNN

Updated 12:31 AM ET, Sat July 6, 2019

Washington (CNN)The parents of Otto Warmbier filed a claim for a North Korean cargo ship that was seized by the US in May, noting the asset could be used to pay off part of the family's $500 million judgment against the country.

In December, a federal judge awarded the Warmbier family more than half a billion dollars in a wrongful death suit against the North Korean government.

North Korea never engaged in settlement discussions, according to the new filing, "Hence, the Warmbiers are left to chase down the assets of North Korea to recover what they can for the torture and death of their son at the hands of North Korea's dictator, who with "his cronies, show(s) no regard for human life.""

"We are committed to holding North Korea accountable for the death of our son Otto, and will work tirelessly to seize North Korean assets wherever they may be found," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/warmbier-claim-north-korean-cargo-ship/index.html

[rampartc]

1. wambier's death resulted from his own crime and stupidity.

his parents should have done more to dissuade his vacation plans, or to educate him on proper behavior in such a place.

[snowybirdie]

2. Since when

does stealing a paper poster require the death penalty? His was a very minor crime but the government of N. Korea decided to cage and beat this young man unmercifully.

[atreides1]

3. Since it was done in North Korea!

Quit trying to equate what you consider normal...to what passes for normal in North Korea!

What we think is a minor crime...isn't minor in that backwards country...this was seen as an attack on the regime...and in accordance with North Korean law he was punished...you go to another country, break their laws, you suffer the consequences!

Tell me why anyone would want to visit a shit hole country like North Korea in the first place???

[rampartc]

4. no need for me to answer him

you pretty much covered it.

I might have recommended about 160 countries where wambier's vacation could have ended on a much happier note.

its almost like these guys who simply must climb mt Everest. if something goes wrong and the body is irretrievable the grieving parents should not sue the mountain.

[ripcord]

5. Go to another country break their laws and you suffer the consequences

That is a pretty disgusting attitude, did you take it from Trump on immigration?

[treestar]

6. Yes, its laws are irrational

And they are to be condemned internationally.

[Everyman Jackal]

8. When you go to another country you have to obey their laws.

This does not have anything to do with Trump or immigration and there wasn't any reason to bring Trump or immigration into this matter. Don't blame Trump for someone doing a stupid thing in a country run by a dictator.

[ripcord]

12. Of course you have to obey the laws

But we should never accept someone being tortured no matter what brutal regime comitted the atrocity of how many people want to blame those actions on someone else.

[Everyman Jackal]

14. I don't accept someone being tortured

but I expect someone being tortured for doing certain crimes in certain countries even though these crimes would not be crimes or at least no more than misdemeanors in this country. That is why you should not go to these countries.

[obamanut2012]

26. He was not tortured

Westerners are not tortured in ROK. They are also usually kept in teh same hotel they were guests at until their release.

[obamanut2012]

25. Exactly -- and, I never understood why the US govt okayed Americans

Going there. Or at least didn't harshly penalize them for doing so. I mean, we can't even freely travel to Cuba. We can't go to Iran and several other places. We are still at war with ROK! It is about legally the same as an American visiting 1942 Germany. I'm glad we closed that loophole now.

[forkol]

32. From what I understand...

I don't think the US government can stop you from visiting any country in which you can gain entry into, so they can't penalize you. The thing about Cuba travel before Obama lifted restrictions was that you couldn't spend US dollars there, which they could control, and that effectively stopped most Americans from trying to visit. However, you could always jump to Cuba from another country. The Cubans would even be so nice as to not stamp your passport, they would stamp your entry card instead.

But even if your passport was stamped, the most you would get is a stern lecture from Immigration. I had heard there was a legal group that was willing to defend you if you were prosecuted, but I don't think a case was ever brought, or successfully made it to court (not 100% sure on that).

You can still visit Cuba, by the way, they just removed the direct tourist category and removed the cruise ship category. There's other categories you can get the Cuban visa under fairly easy.

This issue also came up with the 1980 Boycott of the Moscow Olympics. Carter threatened to strip the passport of 25 athletes that wanted to attend. They sued, but lost in District Court. However, that case was not against the US government, but against the US Olympic Committee, and they did not take it any further.

I am not advocating anybody visit rogue regimes, and you would have to be crazy to want to visit North Korea. Just wanted to put this out there as to why the US government does not stop you from doing so.

[bitterross]

18. Why is acknowledging reality a disgusting attitude?

Ignoring the reality of the situation is just plain ignorant. It is nothing like emulating Trump on any topic.

He went to a country that is openly hostile to the West. He went on a tour with a company known for being a party tour company. I have no sympathy for him, nor his parents at this point.

[obamanut2012]

27. Yup, and paid money to support this horrible regime

HE PAID MONEY THAT WENT INTO THE ROK GOVERNMENT'S COFFERS.

[jmowreader]

10. The worst part of the Warmbier death...

If the stupid shit would have simply asked for one of those posters, the North Korean Propaganda Ministry would have given him so many he’d have needed another suitcase to carry them all.

[rampartc]

16. that is probably true

[Buzz cook]

34. That's both moral relativism snd

its an doesn't take into account that there are international laws which North Korea violated in this case.

Stop victim blaming.

[obamanut2012]

24. They did not beat him

As the medical tests -- and coroner -- after he was returned shows. He was actually in excellent condition, as attested by the same tests and coroner. He had brain damage, and every though our docs cannot say exactly why he had that damage, they do know why he didn't have it: he was no strangled, tortured, hanged, beaten, etc. I actually think he tried to kill himself, and it didn't quite work.

Westerners are not treated badly in ROK, although they are used for propo, and are generally released with a year or three. ROK sucks, and they should have released Otto, even after his dumb show trial, but he was not beaten or killed by ROK.

Otto's family has to accept that at least part of what happened to this young man was his own fault.

[treestar]

9. The judge already granted him a judgment.

[tinrobot]

11. Blame the victim and his parents?

No.

Blame North Korea. They killed him.

[obamanut2012]

28. Except that isn't what happened

ZERO evidence that happened.

[tinrobot]

33. Zero evidence you blamed the victims?

Looks like you did to me.

[Honeycombe8]

13. There's the crime...and then there's the issue of inhumane & cruel treatment. 2 sep. issues.

That's in essence what Trump says about the inhumane treatment of the migrants at the southern border. "They committed a crime coming into our country. If they don't commit the crime, they won't be subjected to this kind of treatment."

You see anything wrong with that argument? Anything at all?

Yes, Otto was responsible for his frat boy stunt. And his parents were responsible for not impressing on him not to go to countries like N.Korea or Pakistan or Afghanistan, etc. (I'm not sure they knew; Otto was an adult, so their approval wasn't necessary.)

But torture and death for the "crime"?

[Everyman Jackal]

15. The difference is The Constitution.

Everyone on US soil is supposed to be protected by The Constitution. Outside the US, yes there is torture and death in some countries.

[Honeycombe8]

17. There is no difference morally. Universal morality and humanity applies.

There are some universal truths in the world, regardless of race, nationality, religious belief.

Torture and death for a prank is universally considered immoral and inhumane. Even if it is ruled legal. (Note that the treatment of the migrants at the border has not yet been ruled illegal; some things have been ordered corrected, but not the sum of the inhumane treatment and the overcrowding and such.)

[Everyman Jackal]

21. Like it or not, countries are amoral.

Treatment of the migrants at the border has not yet been ruled illegal because it has not gone through the court system and The Supreme Court has not made a ruling. That is the thing about our Constitution, any court can rule on the constitutionality of something but the Supreme Court has the final say. A government can do and usually does whatever it wants unless it is stopped by its citizens, its military or an outside force. I may have more to say on this but I have already been working on it for over 20 minutes. If I have not been precise enough reply and I will work on it.

[Honeycombe8]

22. Yes, the migrant situation has gone to court.

The court has ruled that the govt has to provide water and soap and toothbrushes, etc.

Look, I just made a short statement pointing out that the argument is not whether inhumane treatment is legal. I made the statement that universally people consider cruel and inhumane treatment to be immoral. And that's the truth.

One doesn't need to believe in God or Buddha or Mohammed, in order to believe in "treat others as you would want to be treated." There are and have always been universal truths among humans. (Now, there may be a difference among people as to what constitutes cruel & inhumane treatment.)

That's all. A simple truth. It has nothing to do with legality or dictatorships.

[Everyman Jackal]

23. There are and have always been universal truths among good and caring humans.

By being good and caring people we do not have all the devices that bad and uncaring people use to subjugate us and others. For instance, for the most part, bad people assassinate good people but good people do not assassinate bad people. I used to believe that good would always win over evil. Now I think we are down to a 50-50 chance at best.

[BigmanPigman]

30. That seems like a fair and accurate assessment to me.

50/50...so much for "man-kind" and humanity. We have a choice and choose to be immoral.

[bitterross]

20. Otto Wasn't trying to escape the gangs, violence, etc of his home country.

There's a huge difference between a privileged frat boy going on a party tour to a country like N. Korea and the people trying to seek asylum in the US. You should be ashamed of yourself for comparing the two.

When you go to a country like N. Korea KNOWING what that country is like. How it starves and tortures its own people. Then you act like an idiot, you lose your right to sympathy for ANY treatment you brought upon yourself.

It's no different than some idiot winning the Darwin award for stupid behavior. No one feels sympathy for the dumb ass and his buddy who keep shooting each other to test their Kevlar vests when one of them ends up dead.

[obamanut2012]

29. And, you are literally giving money to this regime

To continue its torturing of ROK citizens. Just to brag to your buddies at UVA that you partied in ROK, and entered an off-limits area to do a dumb prank that you knew was illegal.

Otto's family needs to understand most of this was their son't fault. That is no excuse for how ROK treats its citizens, and Otto's show trial was disgusting. But, Westerners are not treated badly, and are usually impriosned at the same hotel Otto stayed at. He would have been released within a few months to a couple years, and would have been scared but safe.

It is a shame he didn't realize that.

[NCjack]

7. Trump will ignore the court filing and release hid buddy's ship. nt

[pbmus]

31. His family says he was tortured, I believe them...

Most of the rest of you have an opinion, just like aholes everybody has one...

[Xolodno]

35. Go to North Korea...a country we are still technically at war with....

...you are possibly forfeiting your life. End of story. The same with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, etc. and we are not at war with them.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

36. I have some observations

First, there are things in life that are very unwise. Engaging in those activities doesn't warrant death but the consequences are unfortunate, don't be surprised. That said, a lack of wisdom should never result in death.

Second, if you're sued in court, it's stupid not to show up.

Lesson learned: actions have consequences.