Nine North Koreans being held by Chinese authorities face imprisonment, torture and possibly death if they are forcibly repatriated, human rights campaigners have warned. In an open letter, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, to pressure China into allowing the defectors, who include an 11-month-old child, to travel and seek asylum in South Korea or another country of their choice. “Time is running out for these nine refugees, so president Park needs to immediately press China’s government to ensure this group is not sent back into harm’s way,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. Read more
