Brothers of Liu Xiaobo Report Visit With Chinese Nobelist

Posted October 4th, 2011 at 3:05 am (UTC-5)
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Relatives of Liu Xiaobo say they have been granted a rare visit with the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who is jailed in China.

Liu's three brothers told reporters Tuesday that Liu appeared in good health when they visited him in his prison cell last week. One of the brothers said Liu's wife, Liu Xia, was also granted a visit in August.

The visit came shortly before the anniversary of Liu's being granted the Nobel Peace Prize, an action that infuriated China and briefly disrupted relations between Beijing and Norway, where the prize committee is based.

Liu was sentenced in December 2009 to 11 years in prison on subversion charges. The 55-year-old writer had co-authored a manifesto calling for political reform known as “Charter 08.”

A U.N. human rights panel and several foreign governments, including the United States, have called for Liu's release.

They have also criticized the treatment of Liu Xia, who was placed under house arrest to prevent her from traveling to Norway to accept the Nobel prize on her husband's behalf.