Prosecutors Request Retrial for 35 Fishermen Repatriated from North Korea Falsely Accused of Espionage
100 Fishermen Abducted in 1968 Punished for Anti-Communist Law Violations
Restoration of Honor and Rights Redress After Over 40 Years
The prosecution has initiated ex officio retrial procedures for 100 "abducted-returned fishermen" who were convicted of violating the Anti-Communism Law and other charges after being abducted while fishing in the East Sea and subsequently returning, and has so far filed retrials for a total of 35 individuals.
On the 18th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced that as of the 16th of this month, it had filed ex officio retrials for a total of 35 people: 1 person at Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office, 17 at Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office Gangneung Branch, 12 at Sokcho Branch, 1 at Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and 4 at Daegu District Prosecutors' Office Yeongdeok Branch.
For the remaining defendants for whom retrial procedures have not yet been initiated, personal information, presence of bereaved families, and contact details are being identified.
The 35 individuals for whom the prosecution filed ex officio retrials are all captains and crew members of 12 vessels, including the "Daeyeongho," who collectively returned to Geojeon Port, Goseong-gun, Gangwon-do, on May 28, 1969. Most of them were abducted while fishing in the East Sea from October to November 1968 and, after their collective return, were sentenced to one year in prison with two or three years of probation for violating the Anti-Communism Law and other charges.
The prosecution explained that the defendants subject to the ex officio retrial and their bereaved families have also reported severe suffering experienced during the criminal procedures following their abduction and return.
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The prosecution plans to continuously strive to restore honor and provide relief for the rights of all 100 abducted-returned fishermen who have undergone ex officio retrial procedures.
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