Human rights activists across the globe are up in arms over the sentencing of American journalists captured overseas. According to an article posted on the New York Times website in the early morning hours of June 8, 2009, two United States journalists were mercilessly sentences to 12 consecutive years in a labor prison. The country's state news agency related that information on Monday morning.
The television journalists that were sentenced are Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They were working for former Vice President Al Gore with his television station Current TV. When arrested, they were doing a very important story about human trafficking, particularly of women. That's a huge problem worldwide, and it needs the exposure and hard work they were doing.
Two Journalists Detained in North Korea
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were tried in the Central Court from June 4 to June 8. Although no crime was stated in any exact terms, they called it a grave crime against the nation. They two journalists were also accused of illegally entering North Korea. Both were sentenced to the same thing. According to the report, the court "sentenced each of them to 12 years of reform through labor.' No details were given, which raises suspicions all the more.
Ling and Lee Imprisoned
Ling and Lee were initially arrested on March 17, and the reasons why aren't given or clear. What is clear is that they were accused of entering North Korea illegally. Whether the border guards went into China for them, or whether they were actually in the country illegally is not verified or clear.
U.S. Journalists in Dire Straights
Being hush-hush is nothing uncommon for the nation, but the seemingly unfair punishment is drawing a lot of ire across the country upon its immediate announcement. Even celebrities are starting to blog and write about it, as soon as the information was released.
Imprisoned Journalists' Impact on America
Ashton Kutcher (who has over a million followers now on Twitter) announced on the Twitter Website that he disapproves of the sentencing. He calls it a national crisis. Among things he said, he stated, "Bottom line: China needs to step up. We should find out what the largest social network site in china is and run a campaign to encourage the people there 2 help." Since Twitter only allows for a few character per tweet, his abbreviations were necessary, yet obvious in their meaning. Not wishing to misquote, I've repeated them here. Quinn Cummings also re-posted the story on her Twitter, as did many other celebrities and concerned citizens.
When asked for comment, The U.S. Embassy in Seoul had no comment readily available; Kalee Kreider, spokeswoman for Gore, had no immediate comment, either. However, citizens are starting to speak out and speak out strongly. From celebrities like Ashton to servicemen to their fellow journalists and peers, this is indisputably unacceptable.
The bad news following the bad news? There is no chance for appeal. They were tried in the highest court in the country of North Korea, and decisions made there are considered quite final.
