U.S. warrant issued for accused ringleader of North Korean embassy raid in Madrid

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. authorities are focused on Southern California in their manhunt for a one-time human rights activist accused of leading a violent takeover of North Korea’s embassy in Spain, according to a federal arrest warrant unsealed on Friday.

Adrian Hong Chang is wanted by Spain in connection with the alleged embassy raid in February, but his lawyer denounced the U.S. Justice Department for seeking his arrest and extradition based on “the highly unreliable accounts of North Korean government witnesses.”

The warrant, citing information from Spanish authorities, describes Hong Chang as the mastermind of a raid by seven individuals on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid on Feb. 22 that began with Hong Chang posing as a visiting businessman.

He and six fellow intruders, armed with knives, iron bars, machetes and imitation pistols, then stormed the embassy, restrained and physically beat the charge d’affaires and several other employees and held them captive for several hours before fleeing the compound, according to the warrant.

-snip-

WORLD NEWS APRIL 26, 2019 / 10:26 PM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Steve Gorman
4 MIN READ


Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-northkorea-usa/u-s-warrant-issued-for-accused-ringleader-of-north-korean-embassy-raid-in-madrid-idUSKCN1S302M

[rpannier]

1. The Warrant is Being Issued by the Spanish Gov't

It's unlikely the United States will not comply
We have an extradition treaty with Spain
Barring some evidence that Spain would turn them over to North Korea (which won't happen), I don't see why the US doesn't comply with it (Spain is an EU Country with EU protections for accused persons)

[soryang]

2. Channel A News South Korea reported that Hong went to Japan...

...in February to seek protection for Kim Han Sol, Kim Jong Un's nephew. NHK was reported to be the source. Either Hong is incredibly ignorant of political conditions in northeast Asia, or the story is intended to mislead.

Channel A also reported that Hong had met with the FBI a second time in Los Angeles. Christopher Ahn was carrying a pistol when he was apprehended in Hong's residence in LA. It was reported that Ahn had a permit, and that he carried the pistol because the FBI had warned him of threats to his life.