A/HRC/WGAD/2018/54 as a political criminal and is punished through detention. Mr. Kim could not deny his attempt to defect to the Republic of Korea, since he was arrested at the border between China and Mongolia, which is a frequently used route for defectors from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who seek asylum in the Republic of Korea. 14. According to the source, Mr. Kim was sent to Yoduk political prison camp, where he remained at the time of submission of the communication. 15. Keum Nam Lee, 35 years of age at the time of her detention, is a national of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She resided in Namcheon, South Hamkyung Province, in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Ms. Keum Nam Lee was a housewife. 16. The source indicates that, in December 1999, Ms. Keum Nam Lee defected from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to China. Reportedly, she intended to seek asylum in the Republic of Korea after crossing the border between China and Mongolia. However, Ms. Keum Nam Lee, together with other defectors from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who were with her at the time, was arrested by the national police and repatriated to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 17. Since Ms. Keum Nam Lee planned to go to the Republic of Korea, she was considered to be a political criminal. She was therefore liable to receive punishment in the form of detention and surveillance. 18. The source adds that Ms. Keum Nam Lee could not deny her attempt to defect to the Republic of Korea since she was arrested at the border between the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia, which is a frequently used route for defectors from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who seek asylum in the Republic of Korea. 19. Reportedly, following the instruction of the National Security Agency of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ms. Keum Nam Lee was sent to Yoduk political prison camp, where she remained at the time of submission of the communication. 20. The source argues that Ms. Lee was arrested without any warrant being presented, legal procedure being followed or opportunity being afforded for legal defence. The source states that these elements render Ms. Lee’s detention arbitrary. 21. Myung-Ju Lee, born on 21 July 1973, is a national of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She resided in the city of Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 22. According to the source, Ms. Myung-Ju Lee was a clothes merchant at a market located in the city of Hoeryong. Reportedly, Ms. Myung-Ju Lee wanted to buy clothes from China in order to sell them in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at a price higher than that of the locally produced garments. She therefore crossed the border between China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Ms. Myung-Ju Lee had planned to return to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea after buying clothes. While staying at temporary accommodation near the province of Heilongjiang, Ms. Myung-Ju Lee found a copy of the Bible and read it. 23. The source indicates that neighbors reported the presence of Ms. Myung-Ju Lee to the authorities. In December 2004, the national police went to the temporary accommodation to apprehend Ms. Myung-Ju Lee. During the arrest, the police found the Bible. 24. The source states that authorities sent Ms. Myung-Ju Lee from China to the Onsung Region in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. On 8 March 2005, Ms. Myung-Ju Lee was reportedly transferred, under the custody of the National Security Agency, to the city of Hoeryong. 25. The source asserts that the authorities would have referred to “The 10 principles for the establishment of the one ideology system” when arresting Ms. Myung-Ju Lee. Defecting from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and reading the Bible are considered to harm the dignity of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and to violate the above- 3