Laura Ling and Euna Lee Sentenced to 12 Years in North Korea

The Central Court, the highest court of North Korea, held a trial for Laura Ling and Euna Lee from Thursday to Monday and convicted them of "committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry." Ling and Lee were sentenced to 12 years hard labor for illegal entry into North Korea.

The families of the two convicted women released the following statement:

"The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee are shocked and devastated by the outcome their trial. Laura and Euna are journalists who went to the China-North Korea border to do a job. We don’t know what really happened on March 17, but if they wandered across the border without permission, we apologize on their behalf and we are certain that they have also apologized."

"We believe that the three months they have already spent under arrest with little communication with their families is long enough. We ask the Government of North Korea to show compassion and grant Laura and Euna clemency and allow them to return home to their families."

The two families tell say they are "very concerned about their mental state and well being," adding that they fear that Ling, who suffers from a stomach ulcer, may have her condition "exacerbated by the drastic sentence."

The families also reveal that Lee’s 4-year-old daughter has been showing "anguish over the absence of her mother."

Boohoo! I may not agree with the decision that North Korea made to convict, rather than scold and release these two women, but it is possible the women were convicted for breaking North Korean law, and given a fair sentence.

Ling knew about her "ulcer" before she went on this risky trip, and if she needed treatment she should have got it before going, just in case she got caught and sentenced to jail.

Lee didn’t need to leave her 4 year-old daughter to go on this risky trip, but that was her decision, and now she’ll have to live with it.

Both women work for liberal democrat program Current TV, which Al Gore is a big part of. Al offered to help negotiate the release of the women, but the North Korean’s told him to stick it.

I’d like to see Ling and Lee get released, but I won’t feel sorry for them if they serve the entire 12 years. Hopefully these two will finally learn the lesson that they must take responsibility for their actions. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the fire.

The part of this that is unfair is the fact that Ling and Lee made a reckless decision that is causing their families to feel pain that could have easily been avoided.