Japan, EU Hope to Haul North Korean Gov't to the Hague Over Rights Abuses

The European Union and Japan have submitted a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly, slamming alleged human rights violations in North Korea and recommending referring Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court, local media reported Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Kyodo news agency, the draft resolution was submitted on Friday, and was co-sponsored by over 40 countries, including the United States and South Korea.

The resolution states that "reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed" in North Korea, as quoted by the media outlet. The document calls on Pyongyang to close its "extensive system of political prison camps" which subject people to "deplorable conditions."

The document calls on the UN Security Council to take "appropriate action" in bringing those responsible for the alleged human rights violations to justice, and refer them to the ICC.

Last November, the UN General Assembly's third committee passed a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights record and urged a referral of the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un denied the accusations, saying that the committee's decision was backed by the United States and other countries aiming to overthrow the ruling regime.