NEW YORK—Two female American journalists jailed in a North Korean since last March, were released on Tuesday after a successful humanitarian mission by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
“President Clinton has safely left North Korea with Laura Ling and Euna Lee. They are en route to Los Angeles where Laura and Euna will be reunited with their families,” said a statement released late on Tuesday by Matt McKenna, Spokesman for President Clinton.
Clinton met with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea on Tuesday and very
quickly, news spread internationally that a pardon had been issued for the pair of American journalists.
Reporters Without Border (RSF), the press freedom organization that has been following the case closely, was very pleased with the news.
“Our organization is thrilled to know that they’ve been released,” said Tala Dowlatshahi, senior advisor and spokeswoman for RSF New York Bureau. “And we want to thank President Clinton for spending the time to go out there and bring them home.
“This is going to set a precedent for the North Korean government in the future that they are not going be able to get away with jailing American journalists illegally and then not being held accountable. This is a clear indication that they cannot continue to do that,” she said.
Sam Trudeau, New York representative of RSF and United Nation correspondent noted that the two women had been “held in difficult condition.”
Both journalists work for California-based media company Current TV. Current TV is an independent media company led by Clinton’s former vice president, Al Gore.
The duo was documenting human rights abuses against North Korean women along the China-North Korea border when they were arrested on March 17.
On June 8, they were both sentenced to 12 years in a labor prison. They are the first American journalists to have been arrested at the China-North Korea border, said Director for RSF Washington, D.C. Lucie Morillon in an interview last June.
Alanna Zahn, contact person for the Website for saving Laura Ling and Euna Lee (www.lauraandeuna.com ), were in contact with Laura and Euna’s families.
“The families of Laura Ling and Euna Lee are overjoyed by the news of their pardon,” says a statement on the Website.
“We especially want to thank President Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission and Vice President Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home.”
