An Australian man has been detained in North Korea, allegedly for distributing religious materials, and faces up to 15 years imprisonment.

John Short, 75, originally of Barmera in the Riverland region of South Australia, had arrived in North Korea on Saturday for a tour of the country and been detained since Sunday, a press release published Tuesday by his family said.

“On Sunday night, February 16, the police came to find Mr Short at his hotel. They questioned him and then detained him,” the press release said, adding that another member of his group raised the alarm after leaving the