North Korea's highest court sentenced an American tourist to 15 years in prison with hard labor on Wednesday for subversion. He allegedly attempted to steal a propaganda banner from a restricted area of his hotel at the request of an acquaintance who wanted to hang it in her church.
Otto Warmbier, a 21-year-old University of Virginia undergraduate student, was convicted and sentenced in a one-hour trial at the North's Supreme Court. He was charged with subversion.
No further details were immediately available.
Warmbier was arrested as he tried to leave the country in early January. He was in North Korea as a tourist with a New Year's tour group.