Relatives of suspected abduction victims will urge the International Criminal Court next week to prosecute North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying his refusal to provide information on their whereabouts constitutes human rights abuses against them.

The families and their supporters will travel to The Hague to directly submit a petition requesting investigations into the suspected abductions of at least 100 Japanese as a case of crimes against humanity.

While the abductions themselves were carried out on the orders of deceased leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the current leader is aware that a significant number of them "are still alive and that their freedom is severely restricted," says a draft petition obtained by Kyodo News on Thursday.