A heart-wrenching incident occurred in North Korea where an entire family, including a two-year-old child, was sentenced to life imprisonment solely because a Bible was found in their possession. This severe act of punishment was a clear violation of their religious freedom and human rights.
According to the International Religious Freedom Report, an entire family, including a two-year-old child, received a life imprisonment sentence after a Bible was found in their possession. This distressing incident was brought to light in the US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report 2022, which detailed the oppressive measures taken by the North Korean regime against individuals practicing their religious beliefs.
The report shed light on the harsh conditions and various forms of physical mistreatment endured by Christians incarcerated in these camps. It highlighted that the Ministry of State Security was responsible for approximately 90% of documented human rights violations against both Christians and Shamanic adherents.
The State Department, citing information from Korea Future, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting justice and accountability in North Korea, stated that the government of North Korea systematically persecutes individuals engaged in religious practices, in possession of religious items, having contact with religious individuals, or sharing religious beliefs. Those who are persecuted face the risk of arrest, detention, forced labor, torture, unfair trials, deportation, denial of the right to life, or even sexual violence.
In December 2021, Korea Future released a report highlighting the abuse of religious freedom specifically targeting women in North Korea. The report, based on interviews with 151 Christian women who had experienced abuse, revealed that arbitrary detention, torture, deportation, forced labor, and sexual violence were the most common forms of abuse inflicted upon them.
