A North Korean fisherman was sentenced to four years in prison by a Russian court after being convicted for assaulting Russian border guards during a September 2019 poaching incident.

The fisherman was found guilty of violating Part 2 of Article 318 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers “the use of violence dangerous to life and health against a government representative,” a Nakhodka City Court spokesperson confirmed to Russian news agency Interfax on July 3.

The sentencing comes after the fisherman is believed to have served nearly 10 months in pre-trial detention following the September 17 incident.

Russian prosecutors have so far charged three of the 17 total North Korean fishermen arrested with Article 318. All 17 of the fishermen were taken into custody for allegedly assaulting Russian border guards as they attempted to detain the North Korean ships for squid poaching.

According to Interfax, “a representative of the region’s supervisory agency” later clarified that criminal proceedings against two more North Korean nationals were “scheduled for September 15 and 16” in Nakhodka City Court.

Russian investigators allege that the 17 fishermen armed themselves with improvised items to assault the border guards, with three North Korean poachers using “wooden sticks” to injure three Russian officials.

Interfax also reported the names of the charged DPRK nationals: Kwon Yong Sik, Choe Son, and Pak Myung Jin.

Fourteen unnamed fishermen are currently being investigated for “assault on the lives of law enforcement officers” under Article 3167 of the Criminal Code.

Although the fisherman sentenced to four years in prison was not named in the Interfax report, a “Choe, Son” charged with the same Article 318, Part 2 appeared on the Nakhodka City Court docket on July 2.

Strangely, according to court documents, the meeting was adjourned by Judge Gunina Anatolyevna because of Choe’s “failure to appear,” with another hearing scheduled for September 16, 2020.

However, it’s possible that all three fishermen were present at “Choe’s” proceeding, and that the July 2 sentencing applies to one fisherman while the case against the other two fishermen is expected to continue on September 16.

Shortly after the September incident, Russian officials announced that they intended to hold the arrested North Koreans in pre-trial detention, which means the fishermen have likely been in Russian custody for just under 10 months.

A France24 documentary released in May showed that North Korean fishermen accused of poaching were being held in pre-trial detention on their own ships, lacking Russian aid and relying on the DPRK Embassy for supplies like fresh water.

Russia recently enacted a major crackdown on North Korean poaching, which has escalated into a “particularly acute” problem for its Border Service. Arrests rose to more than 3,700 in 2019 — fourteen times the number of fishermen detained in the last five years combined.

Edited by Kelly Kasulis