Amnesty International has said North Korean authorities must release all those detained solely for their religious beliefs, following reports that an American tourist has been arrested after he left a Bible at a hotel.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the man arrived April 29 and was detained when he tried to leave the country.
“Leaving behind a Bible in a hotel room, whether by accident or by design, should never amount to a criminal offence,” said Roseann Rife, East Asia Research Director at Amnesty International.
Reports of the latest arrest comes days after a South Korean missionary Kim Jong-uk was sentenced to hard labour for life for allegedly spying and setting up an underground church.
Sources: Amnesty International; The Wall Street Journal; NK News