Lisa Ling's Sister Sentenced to 12 Years Hard Labor in N. Korea
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This is terrible.
Lisa Ling's sister, Laura Ling, and friend, Euna Lee, who had been arrested by North Korean military on the Chinese border March 17, have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for their alleged "hostile acts."
Lisa has been working furiously for the last few months to get her sister and friend released from captivity in the country, but more bad news came on Sunday.
CNN reported that the Korean Central News Agency said the women had been sentenced to 12 years in labor camps "for the grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing."
U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelley said in a statement, "We are deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities, and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release. We once again urge North Korea to grant the immediate release of the two American citizen journalists on humanitarian grounds."
The Ling and Lee families released this joint statement, calling for the "expeditious release of Laura and Euna on humanitarian ground. Euna Lee is the mother of a 4-year old daughter. And Laura was being treated for an ulcer prior to her departure, and in our limited communication with her we fear it has become more serious since her detainment and requires immediate medical attention."
"We aren't certain of the details of what happened on March 17, but we can say with absolute certainty that when the girls left U.S. soil, they never intended to set foot onto North Korean territory. If at any point a transgression occurred, we sincerely apologize on their behalf."
Lisa told People.com on Thursday, "It is very surreal to be part of a story, especially when it is your little sister and your best friend. For me, my sister is an incredible journalist. She is a wife and an adult but she's still my little sister and to feel this helpless has been the most debilitating experience of my life."
So awful. Let's pray for their release.
