North Korea has sentenced detained American Matthew Miller to six years of hard labor on a conviction of “hostile acts” against Pyongyang.

The brief trial Sunday came two weeks after Miller and two other American detainees appealed to the US government to help free them. The US has said it will do everything it can to work for the release of the three Americans.  

Miller, in his mid-20s, was arrested in April after ripping up his visa at immigration and demanding asylum in North Korea. After a brief session Sunday morning, Miller was denied the possibility of appeal.

A trial is also expected soon for Jeffrey Fowle who entered the North as a tourist and was arrested in May for leaving a Bible at a provincial club.

A third U.S. citizen, Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae, is serving out a 15-year sentence for what Pyongyang says are “hostile acts” intended to overthrow the government.

Planned trips by a US diplomat to secure Bae’s freedom have been canceled by Pyongyang. Those visits were scheduled to take place before Miller and Fowle were arrested.

In the past, North Korea has released detained Americans after high-profile visits by former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

 
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