GENEVA: The United Nations investigator of human rights violations in North Korea inserted himself Monday into the mystery over the assassination of the North Korean leader’s half-brother, calling for an independent inquiry and possible protection of “other persons from targeted killings.”
The remarks by the investigator, Tomas Ojea Quintana, at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, essentially expanded the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged older sibling of Kim Jong-un, into a human rights issue.
Quintana’s remarks also intensified the international pressure on North Korea, which has been accused by South Korea and the United States of orchestrating the assassination a month ago at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. Malaysian authorities have made clear that they believe that North Korea’s government may have been involved.
North Korea has denied responsibility, describing the assassination as a smear plot by Malaysia and North Korea’s enemies and has not even acknowledged the identity of the victim.
Political analysts have suggested that Kim Jong-un may have ordered the assassination of his half-brother over fear that China, which was protecting Kim Jong-nam, might try to install him as North Korea’s leader should the current government collapse.
Quintana said the intense interest in the assassination had obscured the “human rights implications” of Kim Jong-nam’s death, adding his voice to the suspicions that North Korean agents were involved.
“I urge all parties concerned to cooperate in carrying out a transparent, independent and impartial investigation into this killing, and to observe guidelines regarding witness protection,” he told the Human Rights Council during a periodic update on North Korea.
“Should the investigation confirm the involvement of state actors,” Quintana said, “Mr. Kim would be a victim of an extrajudicial killing and measures would need to be taken to assign responsibilities and protect other persons from targeted killings.”
As of Monday, no next of kin have come forward to claim the body, leading to speculation that the victim’s wife and children live in fear of assassination, as well.
North Korean officials have refused to meet with Quintana and boycotted his presentation at the Human Rights Council. North Korea has long contended that the UN investigation of human rights abuses is groundless and part of a malicious plot instigated by the United States and its allies.
At a news conference later at UN headquarters in New York, North Korea’s ambassador, Kim In-ryong, responded to a question about Quintana’s assertion by reiterating his country’s denial of responsibility for the assassination. He suggested North Korea’s enemies had been responsible, calling the assassination “the product of reckless moves” by the United States and South Korea.
The ambassador also dismissed as “the height of absurdity” Malaysia’s conclusion that VX had been used, arguing that its toxicity is so potent that the assassins and other bystanders would have died. -- NYT