Lisa Ling's Plea To North Korea: Release My Sister & Friend
Jun. 4 2009, Published 3:15 p.m. ET
It was an emotional night for National Geographic correspondent Lisa Ling and her family who gathered with hundreds of friends and well-wishers in Santa Monica, California Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil for her sister, journalist Laura Ling and her colleague, fellow reporter Euna Lee, who remain detained in North Korea.
The three-hour vigil was held in conjunction with the start of the two young women's trial in North Korea, where they are being accused of "hostile acts," spying, and entering the country illegally. If found guilty, they could face up to ten years in labor camps.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were seized by North Korean military patrol on Match 17. The two American reporters had been working on a documentary about female refugees living along the border of China and North Korea for Al Gore's media-outlet Current TV.
With the help of Facebook, the vigil was held in nine different states across the country, including NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Portland, Sacramento, and Birmingham, AL.
Celebrities attending the LA vigil included Tia Carrere, Army Wives' Kelly Hu, former American Idol contestant Ryan Starr, Iron Chef America's Mark Dacascos and Ashton Kutcher via Twitter.
Kutcher asked his 2 million plus Twitter followers to "Petition to Free U.S. Journalists Lee & Ling."
Lisa Ling also urged each and every person to lend their support by petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-euna-and-laura