Taiwanese duo given suspended prison sentences for filming US base

Two Taiwanese nationals indicted for illegally filming U.S. military aircraft and facilities in Korea have been given suspended prison sentences, judicial officials said Thursday. The Pyeongtaek branch of the Suwon District Court sentenced both of the suspects — one in his 40s and the other in his 60s — to an imprisonment of 1 1/2 years, suspended for three years, on charges of violating the military base and facility protection laws in a ruling made on July 22, they said. They are accused of illegally photographing U.S. military facilities and equipment during an air show held at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 10. They reportedly told the police that they filmed the base out of curiosity. "The defendants entered the military base without the permission of the commander of the relevant unit, and filmed the military base and facilities. The nature of their crime is bad, but there is no evidence that they intended to detect military secrets," judge Woo Je-chun said in the ruling.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times