Donald Trump Speaks Out On The Death Of Otto Warmbier

Paige Lavender
Updated

President Donald Trump on Monday spoke out about the death of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who died after spending more than a year imprisoned in North Korea.

Trump said during a technology roundtable event that Warmbier faced tough conditions in detention and called North Korea a “brutal regime,” Reuters reports.

“Melania and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Otto Warmbier on his untimely passing,” the president said in an official statement. “There is nothing more tragic for a parent than to lose a child in the prime of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Otto’s family and friends, and all who loved him.”

“Otto’s fate deepens my Administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency,” the statement continues. “The United States once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”

Trump directed the State Department to secure Warmbier’s release last week. Warmbier left North Korea in a Medivac flight because he had been in a coma since March 2016, according to his family.

Doctors who examined Warmbier after his arrival in the U.S. said he suffered a severe brain injury and was in a state of “unresponsive wakefulness.” His parents confirmed his death on Monday.

Warmbier was first apprehended at Pyongyang International Airport when he was a 21-year-old junior at the University of Virginia and on a group tour to North Korea. He was accused of “perpetrating a hostile act against the DPRK” and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor.

Other lawmakers mourned his death, including Sen. Rob Portman (R), who represents Warmbier’s home state of Ohio.

“He was kind, generous and accomplished,” Portman said. “He had all the talent you could ever ask for and a bright future ahead of him.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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A person believed to be Otto Warmbier is transferred from a medical transport airplane to an awaiting ambulance at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., June 13, 2017. 
A person believed to be Otto Warmbier is transferred from a medical transport airplane to an awaiting ambulance at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., June 13, 2017. 
Local residents hold signs of support to welcome home Otto Warmbier.
Local residents hold signs of support to welcome home Otto Warmbier.
Denise Koesterman and Alison Lebrun (R) both of Cincinnati, hang ribbons in honor of Otto Warmbier's homecoming in the Wyoming neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio on June 13, 2017.
Denise Koesterman and Alison Lebrun (R) both of Cincinnati, hang ribbons in honor of Otto Warmbier's homecoming in the Wyoming neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio on June 13, 2017.
Otto Frederick Warmbier, center, a University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea since early January, is taken to North Korea's top court in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo on March 16, 2016. 
Otto Frederick Warmbier, center, a University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea since early January, is taken to North Korea's top court in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo on March 16, 2016. 
Otto Warmbier, center, arrives at his trial in North Korea in 2016. 
Otto Warmbier, center, arrives at his trial in North Korea in 2016. 
Otto Warmbier reacts at a news conference in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang February 29, 2016. 
Otto Warmbier reacts at a news conference in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang February 29, 2016. 
Otto speaks during a news conference in Pyongyang. 
Otto speaks during a news conference in Pyongyang. 
Otto Warmbier has his fingerprints taken at North Korea's top court, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on March 16, 2016. 
Otto Warmbier has his fingerprints taken at North Korea's top court, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on March 16, 2016. 
Fred and Cindy Warmbier stand in their home. Their son, Otto Warmbier was incarcerated in North Korea after having been convicted and sentenced to 15 years' hard labor for 'hostile acts against the DPRK'. 
Fred and Cindy Warmbier stand in their home. Their son, Otto Warmbier was incarcerated in North Korea after having been convicted and sentenced to 15 years' hard labor for 'hostile acts against the DPRK'. 

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.