North Korea sentences Matthew Miller, a Californian, to 6 years of hard labor

North Korea’s Supreme Court sentenced Matthew Miller, an American in his mid-20s who hails from California, to six years of hard labor for committing “hostile acts” when he tore up his visa at Pyongyang airport a few months ago.

Mr. Miller was sentenced in a 90-minute trial absent any defense attorney, The Washington Post reported.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said he was found guilty of committing “acts hostile to the DPRKL while entering … under the guise of a tourist.” Not much is known about Mr. Miller, but the U.S. State Department said it would do what it could to secure his release.

North Korea currently has three Americans in custody: Mr. Miller; Jeffrey Fowle, 56, from Ohio; and Kenneth Bae, a missionary serving 15 years of hard labor.

Mr. Miller reportedly arrived in Pyongyang on April 10 and then tore his visa, shouting for asylum. During his Sunday trial, he reportedly said he ripped up his visa because he had the “wild ambition” of going to prison in North Korea so he could later write about the nation’s human rights, The Associated Press reported.