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Families Of U.S. Journalists In Korea 'Devastated'

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Jun 8, 2009 6:45 pm US/Mountain

Families Of U.S. Journalists In Korea 'Devastated'

 CBS News Interactive: About North Korea
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ― The families of two American journalists convicted of crossing into North Korean territory pleaded to that country's government to let them go.

The families of Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, said in a statement Monday that Ling has a "serious medical condition" that will be worsened by her prison sentence. The statement also says Lee has a 4-year-old daughter who is beginning to worry about her mother.

Laura Ling, 32, is the younger sister of Lisa Ling, a reporter for National Geographic "Explorer" TV. She said her sister suffers from an ulcer that requires medical treatment.

The women were working for San Francisco-based Current TV when North Korean guards seized them March 17 near the country's border with China. The nation's highest court sentenced them over the weekend to 12 years of hard labor.

The families were "shocked and devastated" by the sentence, according to the statement, which was issued through the families' New York-based spokeswoman, Alanna Zahn. They asked the North Korean government "to show compassion" and grant the women clemency.

"We believe that the three months they have already spent under arrest with little communication with their families is long enough," the families said.

The statement also alluded to the diplomatic sensitivities of their arrest and subsequent trial, which came at a time of heightened tension between the U.S. and North Korea over that country's nuclear program.

Ling and Lee were reporting about the trafficking of women at the time of their arrest.

"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," the statement said.

Roxana Saberi, a journalist released after four months in prison in Iran, said in a statement issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists that she was "shocked and saddened to hear about the heavy sentence" imposed on the women.

"I hope that a way can be found to reunite them with their families as soon as possible and I will continue to pray for their swift release," Saberi said.

Supporters held vigils last week in American cities urging the North Korean government to release the journalists.

"We still remain hopeful that Laura and Eunie will return home safely," said Beth Diebels, 35, a former high school classmate of Ling's who organized last week's march in Sacramento.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement urging safety for journalists "who search for the truth in parts of the world where the press does not enjoy the freedom it deserves."

(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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