North Korea Convicts 2-Year-Old to Life in a Prison Camp After Parents Discovered Carrying a Bible

Death Penalty for Bible Possession

A recent report from the US State Department highlights the dire situation faced by Christians in North Korea. According to the International Religious Freedom Report for 2022, Christians caught with a Bible in the country face the death penalty. Shockingly, their families, including young children, are sentenced to life imprisonment. The report estimates that up to 70,000 Christians, along with individuals from other faiths, are currently imprisoned in North Korea.

Imprisonment of Children and Dire Conditions

The report recounts the harrowing case of a two-year-old child who received a life sentence after his parents were found in possession of a Bible. The entire family was arrested for their religious practices and sentenced to life in a political prison camp in 2009. Conditions in these camps are described as dire, with imprisoned Christians facing physical mistreatment and harsh living conditions. The Ministry of State Security is identified as responsible for 90% of documented human rights abuses against Christians and Shamanic adherents.

Persecution and Abuse of Religious Freedom

The State Department report, citing Korea Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to justice and accountability in North Korea, reveals the extensive persecution faced by individuals engaging in religious practices, possessing religious items, or having contact with religious persons. Those persecuted may experience arrest, detention, forced labor, torture, denial of a fair trial, deportation, denial of the right to life, or sexual violence. A separate report by Korea Future highlights the abuse of religious freedom against Christian women, documenting cases of arbitrary detention, torture, deportation, forced labor, and sexual violence.

Graphic Propaganda and International Concern

Defectors from North Korea have provided accounts of textbooks and graphic novels that depict Christians in a negative light, portraying them as committing heinous acts such as rape, murder, and organ harvesting. These propaganda materials aim to demonize Christians and distort religious practices. The United States, along with other countries, has expressed serious concern and condemned North Korea’s systematic violations of human rights. The United Nations resolution addressing these abuses emphasizes the infringement on freedom of opinion, expression, religion, and belief.