The head of a coalition of organizations concerned with human rights in North Korea says the repatriation of nine North Korean escapees is shocking.

Head of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, Suzanne Scholte, made the remark during an interview with Seoul-based Yonhap News on Thursday. She said she had been helping a missionary for the past two years who has been taking care of the nine escapees and six other youths to help them resettle in South Korea or the U.S.

Scholte said up until Monday, plans to help the nine escapees resettle were being carried out smoothly until the North intervened and foiled their plans.

Scholte said the nine youths that were forcibly sent back to the communist state are at the risk of facing torture or execution. She said the international community must come together to jointly condemn Kim Jong-un’s government and the governments of China and Laos.

The human rights activist added that the 15 escapees who were under the care of the South Korean missionary were aged between 12 and 20, adding that three of them have resettled in the U.S. and another three in South Korea.