The UN special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights situation has called for all parties concerned to cooperate in the ongoing probe into the murder of Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, a US broadcaster reported Tuesday.
Tomas Ojea Quintana made the call at the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Voice of America said.
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Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights, speaks during a press conference at a Seoul hotel on Nov. 22, 2016. (Yonhap) |
Qunitana said a probe into Kim's assassination in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13 should be conducted in a transparent, independent and fair manner through cooperation among all parties concerned, according to the broadcaster.
He also stressed the need to work out steps to protect other potential targets for assassination, saying those who are responsible for Kim's murder must be identified, the broadcaster said.
His remarks are construed as a message to Pyongyang which is uncooperative in the probe, only demanding that Malaysia hand over Kim's body.
If a state actor is found to have been behind the murder through investigation, Kim Jong-nam will become the victim of an extrajudicial killing, Quintana said. An extrajudicial killing refers to the execution of a person by governmental authorities without legal process.
The rapporteur also expressed concerns about the North's recent test of four ballistic missiles, the broadcaster said.
The Council is expected to adopt a North Korean human rights resolution jointly submitted by the European Union and Japan on March 24, the last day of its ongoing session, the broadcaster said. (Yonhap)
