China rejects North Korean crimes report, hits chance of prosecution

Michael Kirby, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, gestures during a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva March 17, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

GENEVA (Reuters) - China dismissed on Monday a U.N. report alleging North Korea has committed crimes against humanity, effectively confirming the fears of human rights advocates that Beijing will shield its ally from international prosecution.

The report, published in February, accused the reclusive country of mass killings and torture comparable to Nazi-era atrocities and said officials, possibly even Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un himself, should face the International Criminal Court (ICC).