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DPRK to put US reporters on trial

China Daily | Updated: 2009-05-15 07:44

SEOUL: Two US journalists arrested near the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) border with China on accusations of illegal entry and "hostile acts" will be tried by Pyongyang in early June, state media said yesterday.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters for former vice-president Al Gore's San Francisco-based Current TV media venture, were detained March 17 while reporting on DPRK refugees living in China.

A brief dispatch by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency did not say what charges they will face on June 4. But state media previously said they stand accused of illegal entry and unspecified "hostile acts' - charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison.

The detention of the two Americans comes at a time of mounting tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, and there are concerns the DPRK could use the women as bargaining chips in an effort to position itself for talks with the Obama administration about its weapons programs.

The women will be tried in the DPRK's Central Court - the country's top court - the statement said, in a sign of the seriousness of the case and an indication the DPRK will not allow any appeal of the verdict.

The Central Court normally deals with appeals but has the right to hear some "special" cases first, said Seoul lawyer Han Myung-sub, an expert on DPRK law.

The US does not have diplomatic ties with the DPRK and has relied on the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to negotiate on its behalf. A Swedish envoy met with each journalist on March 30, but the DPRK has since refused access to them, US officials said.

The announcement of the June trial date comes on the heels of the release in Iran this week of an American journalist originally sentenced to eight years for alleged spying. Roxana Saberi's sentence was reduced to a two-year suspended term. She was freed on Monday after four months in jail.

Han, the lawyer, said the DPRK was likely to hand down heavy sentences for Ling and Lee so they can hold onto the reporters and use them as a negotiating card. But he also speculated that the court could eventually grant the women a pardon.

AP

(China Daily 05/15/2009 page12)

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