Former president Jimmy Carter won the release Friday of an American citizen detained by North Korea for illegal entry. Aijalon Gomes, sentenced earlier this year to eight years of hard labor, was granted amnesty and permitted to return to the United States, according to the State Department. Carter, acting as a private citizen, visited Pyongyang to secure Gomes's release. "We welcome the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes and are relieved that he will soon be safely reunited with his family," said P.J. Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs. "We appreciate former president Carter's humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea's decision to grant Mr. Gomes special amnesty." Gomes is expected to return to Boston, his home, on Friday afternoon. The 31-year-old activist, a frequent protester against human rights violations in North Korea, had been detained by Pyongyang since January, when he entered North Korea via China. Last month, North Korea reported that Gomes had attempted suicide. Several weeks ago, a U.S. envoy traveled to Pyongyang and tried unsuccessfully to bring Gomes home.
