Tawakkol Karman: a courageous and controversial campaigner

October 7th, 2011

Iona Craig on the the Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner
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China: Liu Xiaobo will only accept an unconditional release

November 22nd, 2010

The lawyer of imprisoned Nobel peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo has said his client will accept nothing other than an unconditional release. His statement follows recent reports that the authorities offered to release him into exile in exchange for a confession. Shang Baojun said he was unclear whether a specific offer had been made to the dissident, who is serving 11 years for incitement to subvert state power. Last week, it was revealed that Liu’s family are being prevented from collecting the Nobel Prize in Oslo on his behalf.

A life in truth

October 8th, 2010

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2010, Liu Xiaobo is treated as a subversive criminal in China, currently serving an 11-year sentence for incitement to subvert state power. Lauren Davis reports
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Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel peace prize

October 8th, 2010

Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the 2010 Nobel peace prize. He was praised by the Nobel committee for his “non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights”. Currently serving an 11-year prison sentence on charges of subversion, Liu was co-author of Charter 08, calling for democratic reforms in China. It was feared last month that pressure from the Chinese government might affect the committee’s decision, and as the award was announced, BBC news and CNN broadcasts were blocked in China.

Nobel Institute warned not to award prize to Chinese dissident

September 28th, 2010

The Chinese government is putting pressure on the Nobel committee not to award the peace prize to Liu Xiaobo. The activist is currently serving an 11-year sentence for subversion. According to the director of the Nobel Institute, Geir Lundestad, deputy foreign secretary Fu Ying said giving the prize to Liu would damage relations between China and Norway. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Liu’s actions are “diametrically opposed to the aims of the Nobel prize”. The winner of the 2010 Nobel peace prize is due to be announced in Oslo on 8 October.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

October 9th, 2009

Bloomberg news is reporting that US President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Read here