who was otto warmbier's lawyer

by Jazmyn McClure 3 min read

Who is Otto Warmbier?

Sep 08, 2021 · In the lawsuit filed in April 2018 and posted by Courthouse News, the Warmbiers and their attorneys say that Otto was seized for political reasons — as a means to try to coerce the U.S. government to act at North Korea's behest — and not for the accused crime of stealing a political poster.But even as North Korean officials tried to use Otto as a bargaining tool, …

What happened to Otto Warmbier North Korea?

Jan 20, 2022 · A federal judge in New York this month ordered that over $240,000 in seized North Korean bank assets be paid to the family of Otto Warmbier, an American university student who died in 2017 after imprisonment in North Korea. Judge Lawrence E. Kahn said that while a 2018 judgement by a D.C. federal court found North Korea liable to pay the ...

What did Donald Trump say about Otto Warmbier?

Dec 04, 2017 · “We have retained Richard Cullen and McGuireWoods to advise and counsel us in connection with the death of our son Otto at the hands of North Korea," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement...

Who is Otto Warmbier’s family saying is responsible for his death?

Apr 26, 2018 · The parents of Otto Warmbier filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the North Korean government on Thursday charging that the country’s regime tortured and killed their son, according to lawyers ...

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Who was Otto Warmbier?

Otto Warmbier. Otto Frederick Warmbier (December 12, 1994 – June 19, 2017) was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward. Warmbier entered North Korea as part of a guided tour group on December 29, 2015.

Who called Otto Warmbier murder?

U.S. senators John McCain and Marco Rubio called it "murder.". Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, "Countless innocent men and women have died at the hands of the North Korean criminals, but the singular case of Otto Warmbier touches the American heart like no other.".

How long was Otto Warmbier in prison?

15 years imprisonment. Released. June 12, 2017. Otto Frederick Warmbier (December 12, 1994 – June 19, 2017) was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward.

What did Trump say about Warmbier?

In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 19, 2017, President Donald Trump mentioned Warmbier while lambasting North Korea as a rogue state. One week later, Trump posted on Twitter that Warmbier was "tortured beyond belief" by North Korea.

What was the name of the North Korean leader who was tried and convicted?

On March 16, 2016, a few hours after U.S. envoy Bill Richardson met in New York with two North Korean diplomats from the United Nations office to press for Warmbier 's release, Warmbier was tried and convicted in North Korea's Supreme Court. He was charged with subversion under Article 60 of North Korea's Criminal Code.

What happened to Warmbier?

Shortly after his sentencing in March 2016, Warmbier suffered a severe neurological injury from an unconfirmed cause and fell into a coma, which lasted over a year.

When was Warmbier released from North Korea?

In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward. Warmbier entered North Korea as part of a guided tour group on December 29, 2015. On January 2, 2016, he was arrested at Pyongyang International Airport while awaiting departure from the country.

When did Otto Warmbier's family meet him?

When Mr. Warmbier’s family met him at an Ohio airport on June 13, 2017, they could hear “loud inhuman sounds” as they ascended the plane’s steps. Image. Otto Warmbier at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea, in March 2016. North Korea released him in June 2017, and he died shortly thereafter.

Who was the judge that killed Otto Warmbier?

Judge Beryl A. Howell of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that North Korea was “liable in the torture, hostage taking and extrajudicial killing of Otto Warmbier,” who was returned to the United States in June 2017 in a vegetative state and died later that month when he was removed from life support. ...

How long was Warmbier in prison?

A short time later, a court convicted Mr. Warmbier and sentenced him to 15 years in a hard-labor prison. Judge Howell wrote that it was likely that Mr. Warmbier was severely injured while in custody and suffered a devastating brain injury around April 2016.

Why did the Warmbier family not speak out?

The State Department advised the family not to speak publicly about their son during his captivity out of fear about how North Korea might react , the judge said. North Korea denied any responsibility in Mr. Warmbier’s death and claimed that he had contracted botulism.

How much did North Korea pay for Otto Warmbier's death?

A federal judge found that North Korea was liable in the death of their son Otto Warmbier and ordered the country to pay $501 million in damages.

What did the authorities do to Warmbier?

The authorities accused him of tearing down a propaganda poster from a restricted area of his hotel. In a televised news conference, Mr. Warmbier admitted to destroying the poster, a confession that his parents believe was coerced.

Where was Mr. Warmbier detained?

Mr. Warmbier, a junior at the University of Virginia who was majoring in economics, was detained by the North Korean authorities at the Pyongyang airport in January 2016 after a five-day visit there with a tour group.

How much was Otto Warmbier's estate entitled to?

Howell said the estate of Otto Warmbier is entitled to $21 million in compensatory damages and $150 million in punitive damages.

Where was Otto Warmbier tortured?

A judge Monday ruled Otto Warmbier was tortured in North Korea - and awarded his Cincinnati family $500 million in punitive and compensatory damages. Citing the isolated nation's "barbaric mistreatment of Otto," the federal judge said parents Fred and Cindy Warmbier of Wyoming, Ohio, provided evidence North Korea had taken him hostage ...

What did Cindy Warmbier say about Otto's death?

The opinion from U.S. District Court Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell opened with an anguished quote from Cindy Warmbier after Otto's return to the United States in June 2017: “What the heck did you do to my kid?”.

What did Cindy think of Otto?

She believed that Otto would be able to recover from his coma with medical care. Her hopes were “shattered” on June 13, when Otto landed at Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport.

What did the family say about Otto?

The family said Otto's condition was “horrible and unrecognizable.". His mother and sister ran off the plane after seeing him. Otto died a few days later. Court documents said North Korea is the “most advanced, most perfected totalitarian state in world history,” and has “perfected its means of terrorizing” both its own people and others.

How long was Otto in a coma?

During the confession, Otto begged for mercy but was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. After his release in June 2017, Otto was returned to the U.S. in a coma and suffering extensive brain damage. Court documents said he was blind and deaf.

Why did the Warmbiers not speak to media outlets about Otto's detention?

The State Department - under administrations of Presidents Obama and Trump - told the Warmbiers not to speak to media outlets about Otto’s detention because "North Korea was 'going to want something for Otto,' and the more the family spoke publicly, 'the more it’s going to cost,' " court documents said.

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Overview

Otto Frederick Warmbier (December 12, 1994 – June 19, 2017) was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward.
Warmbier entered North Korea as part of a guided tour group on December 29, 2015. On January 2, 2016, he was arrested at Pyongyang International Airportwhile awaiting departure from the co…

Early life

Otto Warmbier, the eldest of Cynthia ("Cindy", née Garber) and Fred Warmbier's three children, was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Wyoming High School, where he was considered popular and studious, and graduated in 2013 as salutatorian. After that he enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he was pursuing a double major degree in commerce and economics, and did a foreign exchange at the London School of Economics. His minor was in global sustainability. War…

North Korea

Warmbier was scheduled to undertake a study-abroad program in Hong Kong in early 2016, and decided to visit North Korea en route over the New Year period. He booked a tour of North Korea with Young Pioneer Tours, a China-based budget tour operator whose slogan is "destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from." Warmbier's father Fred said that Young Pioneer adverti…

Release

Fred and Cindy Warmbier met with numerous Obama administration officials, including then Secretary of State John Kerry, and with the Swedish ambassador, who served as an interlocutor between the U.S. and North Korea. In May 2017, Fred Warmbier said the Obama administration had encouraged them to keep a low profile about their son's situation, but that he and his wife wanted their son to be part of any negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

Death

After his parents requested his feeding tubebe removed, Warmbier died in the hospital at 2:20 p.m. on June 19, 2017, at the age of 22. His family issued a statement expressing their sadness, thanking the hospital staff for their actions. President Trump issued a statement regarding Warmbier's death: "There is nothing more tragic for a parent than to lose a child in the prime of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Otto's family and friends, and all who loved him." He adde…

Public reactions

Public reactions to Warmbier's death were strong. U.S. senators John McCain and Marco Rubio called it "murder". Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said, "Countless innocent men and women have died at the hands of the North Korean criminals, but the singular case of Otto Warmbier touches the American heart like no other." South Korean president Moon Jae-inconveyed his condolences to Warmbier's family, and said "We cannot know for sure that North K…

Aftermath

In July 2017, the U.S. government announced that it would ban American tourists from visiting North Korea as of September 1, 2017, with Warmbier's detention given as one of the reasons.
In his speech to the United Nations General Assemblyon September 19, 2017, President Donald Trump mentioned Warmbier while lambasting North Korea a…

Documents

• WARMBIER et al v. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (District Of Columbia District Court, case 1:18-cv-00977)