Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) said Friday it was “extraordinarily unlikely” that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not know about the treatment of Otto Warmbier during the American’s detention in the country.
Stewart appeared to rebuke comments made by President Trump on Thursday, in which the president appeared to defend Kim, assuring reporters that the North Korean leader wasn’t responsible for Warmbier’s harsh treatment while in captivity.
“I think it is extraordinarily unlikely that the president of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, was holding one of the very few Americans that had been held over history and that he wasn’t aware of that person or aware of his treatment and his condition,” said Stewart, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Stewart decried Warmbier’s death as “absolute murder.”
“It’s torture and murder. I think that the North Korean regime should be held accountable for it,” Stewart said.
.@RepChrisStewart calls Otto Warmbier's death "an absolute murder."
"It's torture and murder. I think that the North Korean regime should be held accountable for it… We can't turn a blind eye to how this young man was treated." https://t.co/zhO0HqHDUh pic.twitter.com/0hgHfAAW1d
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) March 1, 2019
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Stewart said Friday that he understood Trump was meeting with the North Korean leader to develop a relationship on the issue of denuclearization.
“But at the same time, we can’t turn a blind eye to how this young man was treated. And short of other intelligence would indicate otherwise,” Stewart said.
“The North Koreans tortured and murdered this young person, and I think it’s unlikely that Kim Jong Un wasn’t aware of that,” the lawmaker added.
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GOP lawmaker breaks with Trump: "Extraordinarily unlikely" Kim Jong Un didn’t know about Otto Warmbier https://t.co/t2YrlhD4Ol pic.twitter.com/701SwtdusT
— The Hill (@thehill) March 2, 2019
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