North Korea releases Canadian detainee

North Korea says it released a Canadian pastor who has been serving a life sentence since 2015 for anti-state activities over health reasons.

Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Hyeon Soo Lim was released on “sick bail” following a decision by the country’s Central Court.

The agency didn’t provide further details.

Lim was convicted and sentenced in 2015 on charges of trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system and helping U.S. and South Korean authori- ties lure and abduct North Korean citizens.

Lim’s release comes two months after the death of a U.S. college student shortly after he was released from North Korea in a coma.

Otto Warmbier, 22, was convicted of subversion for trying to steal a propaganda banner while visiting North Korea with a tour group. He was sentenced to 15 years with hard labor.

He released by North Korea in June this year after almost a year and a half in captivity. He died shortly after.

Doctors had described his condition as a state of “unresponsive wakefulness” and said he suffered a “severe neurological injury” of unknown cause.

His father, Fred Warmbier, said e believed Otto had been fighting for months to stay alive to return to his family.