A North Korean defector who had lived in Russia illegally for 20 years has been arrested and is now in danger of being sent home to the North.

The Fontanka daily in St. Petersburg identified the man as Choe Myong-bok, adding that a court has ruled that he should be deported to the North.

Choe had worked as a logger in Siberia, but escaped in 1999 and hid from authorities in St. Petersburg for nearly two decades.

The decision to repatriate him comes under a controversial agreement between Pyongyang and Moscow from February last year on the detention and repatriation of defectors and illegal immigrants.

The court order is expected to be carried out on Friday.

Reports said the Russian human rights group Memorial is going to appeal the decision, saying that repatriated defectors face execution in the North. It is also asking the European Court of Human Rights to protect Choe.

