US journalists sentenced to 12 years in DPRK

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The Central Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has sentenced two American journalists to 12 years in a labor camp. State media reported the trial of Laura Ling and Euna Lee was held over the past five days.

The trial confirmed the two female journalists had crossed illegally into the DPRK. The two were detained on March the 17th along the DPRK-Chinese border. The DPRK accused the pair, who were working for Current TV in California, of illegally intruding into its territory with "hostile intent".

The journalists had been visited by Sweden's ambassador to the DPRK on behalf of Washington, which has no diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

File photo shows the two U.S. women reporters held by the DPRK.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo)