North Korea’s Supreme Court has sentenced American detainee Matthew Miller to six years of hard labor, an article on state media outlet the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Sunday.

The sentence handed down by North Korea’s highest legal body comes after Miller was detained in April for allegedly destroying his tourist visa and announcing his intention to seek asylum.

State Department spokesperson Darby Holladay told NK News that “there is no greater priority for us than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad”.

“We request the DPRK pardon Matthew “Todd” Miller and Kenneth Bae and grant them amnesty