The former ANU student who was arrested in North Korea has told of his ordeal at the hands of the state's secret police.
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Alek Sigley said that he was blind-folded and screamed at by interrogators who threatened him with execution by firing squad.
But he also said that after he made a forced and false confession, he "quite liked" his interrogator.
He was arrested on June 25 last year when he was studying at the Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.
He was studying in the country and posting pictures of ordinary life on social media.
He was also writing in Western publications, an act unlikely to please the utterly repressive authorities in what is perhaps the most totalitarian regime in earth.
On arrest, he was bundled into the back of a black Mercedes.
When the investigation was officially over, he began acting like a normal human being, patting me on the back and making jokes. Call it Stockholm Syndrome, but I actually quite liked this man.
- Alek Sigley on his interrogator
He described what happened: "I had been quite enjoying my time at the university. The interrogation, on the other hand, was not much fun. I spent nine days in a room completely cut off from the outside world. There was no clock, and I had to sleep with the light on.
"On that first day they chose to give me a warm welcome, blindfolding me in the car as they read out a long list of crimes I had supposedly committed against the North Korean state," he said in his account in The Guardian.
"Upon arrival at the interrogation facility, I was escorted in by two guards, who made use of the opportunity to trip me up on the stairs at the entrance."
He was bombarded with allegations, in particular that he had committed espionage by uploading a picture of a toy North Korean tank.
"When I objected to their allegations, they began yelling at me, reminding me that I could face execution by firing squad if I didn't carry out my 'reflection' and do it 'sincerely'."
He said that during his nine days of interrogation, one guard said: "Alek, you do realise that this is serious business, don't you? If you're lucky, you'll only get 10 years hard labour. We have a mountain of evidence on your crimes. You'd better confess if you'd like to be treated leniently."
Under this pressure, Mr Sigley confessed and immediately the interrogator turned friendly.
"We chatted about sport - he played in a soccer team - and family life - he had great expectations for his 11-year-old son. I told him of my undying affection for my wife.
"And when the investigation was officially over, he began acting like a normal human being, patting me on the back and making jokes.
"Call it Stockholm Syndrome, but I actually quite liked this man.
"The next day I was driven to the airport, accompanied by him and a few of his colleagues. This last ride was spent comparing the cost of rent in Australia and Japan, and talking about my plans for the future.
" 'Alek, you have a knack for writing, you should keep on doing it. Just make sure you say good things about our country in your future work and maybe we can meet again in Pyongyang one day.
" 'I'll do my best', I said."