A Chinese who is serving a jail sentence for campaigning for human rights and democracy in his country was awarded the 2010 Peace Nobel Prize.
Liu Xiaobo, 54, received the peace award for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said yesterday.Mr. Liu took part in the Tiananmen protests in 1989, and was behind the Charter 08, a manifesto for human rights in China.
In 2009, Mr. Liu was sentenced to eleven years in prison and two years’ deprivation of political rights for “inciting subversion of state power”.
The Chinese government condemned the award, saying Mr. Liu was a criminal.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Liu was a “recognition of the growing international consensus for improving human rights practices and culture around the world.”