Lisa Ling's sister Laura Ling and Euna Lee Convicted, Sentenced to Hard Labor By North Korean Court

Lisa Ling's sister Laura Ling and Euna Lee were convicted in last week's trial and sentenced to 12 years intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States. Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be at North Korean prison.

Calling it a "grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing," the Central Court of North Korea convicted and sentenced the two reporters in a trial that began last Thursday. The U.S. State Department said that outside observers were not allowed to witness the trial's proceedings.

Friends and family of Laura Ling and Euna Lee insist that their border crossing was accidental and have been publicly pleading with the North Koreans for mercy in recent days.

Current TV employees, including company Chairman Al Gore, had been ordered by their legal team to remain quiet about the situation with Lisa Ling and Euna Lee, a stance that they held fast to both individually and as a company, despite some public outcry.

Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said the former vice president has no comment. The South Korean government also did not comment. Alanna Zahn, a spokeswoman for the journalists' families, said the family members have no immediate comment.

The two were reporting about the trafficking of women at the time of their arrest, and it's unclear if they strayed into the North or were grabbed by aggressive border guards who crossed into China.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Washington was trying to confirm press reports of the sentencing.

Kelly said the U.S. was "deeply concerned" about the sentences and that officials would "engage in all possible channels" to free the women.

Related Posts :