He was among the first subscribers of Charter 08 (a petition against the Chinese Communist Party that was calling for the establishment of a democratic system in China) and now Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in prison for "incitement to subvert the powers of state." A sentence that shows how there is no freedom of expression under control of the Chinese Communist Party.
It's not the first time he takes part to a protest, because he started his work of dissent in 1989
when he adheres to the democratic movement of students in Tiananmen Square. And this time it worked out well, because he faced up to 15 years imprisonment. The accusation against him is based on some articles, which he signed,
published by foreign websites and on his participation in the document
Charter 08. "The
trial and the extremely hard sentence on Liu Xiaobo marks a further,
severe restriction of freedom of expression in China", said Navi
Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights of United Nations. The
strongest condemnation came from the United States with the request of
Chief Secretary of the American Embassy in Beijing, Gregory May, for
the immediate release of dissident and "to
respect the rights of all Chinese citizens to peacefully express their
political views in favor of universally recognized fundamental
freedoms, including the right to petition."
The
Chinese government has punished harshly the dissident without thinking that such condemnation might further complicate the
relations, already strained, with most Western countries. The United States of America but also many European countries express their dissent on this sentence. France, through a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Paris, has
expressed its concern about it remembering "to the Chinese authorities their commitments in the dialogue with the EU on human rights. "
Xiaobo's wife, after the verdict, was able
to speak for ten minutes with the Chinese dissident who she hasn't seen him since the day he was arrested nine months ago, and she says that he intends to
appeal the sentence.
Liu Xiaobo was the only one of the signatories of the document Charter 08 to be arrested, even if other signatories have reported of being harassed. In their memorandum they called for the introduction in China of some key reforms, starting with the abolition of the law on inciting to subvert state power.
More than 300 writers, including Salman Rushdie, Umberto Eco and Margaret Atwood, have already requested the release of Xiaobo. But Beijing has ignored them. And now we can only wait to see if Liu Xiaobo will appeal the ruling, hoping to see his sentence partially reduced. But for China, which is running after modernity, this is not a day to remember.
Marianna Lepore
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