13 July 2017

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo passed away today, July 13, 2017. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has received the news of his death with regret and great sadness.

Liu Xiaobo received the Nobel Peace Prize for 2010 for his efforts to implement the fundamental human rights secured in international instruments as well as in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. He was a leading figure in the Chinese democracy movement for almost 30 years. The demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989 took him from an academic life to activism. He was one of the major contributors to Charter 08, the manifesto that pointed out China’s obligations to secure fundamental human rights for its citizens. In his famous poem “I have no Enemies”, we see a clear expression of his pacific attitude.

By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo the Norwegian Nobel Committee wanted to underscore the fundamental connection between developing democracy and creating and securing peace. Moreover, the Committee found that Liu Xiaobo had contributed to the fraternity of peoples through his non-violent resistance against the oppressive actions of the Communist regime in China.

Liu Xiaobo was not able to attend the Award Ceremony in Oslo in 2010. By then he had already been sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment, allegedly for attempting to undermine the current political order. In our view he had not committed any criminal act, but merely exercised his citizen’s rights. His trial and imprisonment were unjust.

Liu Xiaobo’s absence from the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony was marked by an empty chair. We now have to come to terms with the fact that his chair will forever remain empty. At the same time it is our deep conviction that Liu Xiaobo will remain a powerful symbol for all who fight for freedom, democracy and a better world. He belongs to a heritage of former Nobel laureates such as Carl von Ossietzky, Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrei Sakharov, Lech Wałęsa, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela and Shirin Ebadi, to mention a few.

At the end of June the news reached us that Liu Xiaobo had been released from prison. He had been transferred to hospital, but was still under guard and held in complete isolation. We find it deeply disturbing that Liu Xiaobo was not transferred to a facility where he could receive adequate medical treatment before he became terminally ill. The Chinese Government bears a heavy responsibility for his premature death.

The news of Liu Xiaobo’s serious condition was met in part with silence and belated, hesitant reactions world wide. Eventually the governments of France, Germany, and the USA called for his unconditional release, as did the EU through its foreign policy spokesperson. It is a sad and disturbing fact that the representatives of the free world, who themselves hold democracy and human rights in high regard, are less willing to stand up for those rights for the benefit of others.

In the last days of his life, we had a hope that Liu Xiaobo would be released and safely evacuated for medical treatment abroad. This would have been in accordance with his own wishes and the recommendations of the German and American doctors who were allowed to visit him. While the whole world watched, China chose instead to maintain the isolation of its prisoner.

Today our hearts are filled with gratitude to Liu Xiaobo for his monumental efforts and great sacrifices to advance democracy and human rights. He was truly a prisoner of conscience and he paid the highest possible price for his relentless struggle. We feel confident that his efforts were not in vain. Liu Xiaobo was a representative of ideas that resonate with millions of people all over the world, even in China. These ideas cannot be imprisoned and will never die.

For more information:
https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/

26 June 2017

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has received the news about the release of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo with a mixture of relief and deep worry.

The Committee is delighted to learn that Liu Xiaobo is out of prison at long last. At the same time the Committee strongly regrets that it took serious illness before Chinese authorities were willing to release him from jail. Liu Xiaobo has fought a relentless struggle in favour of democracy and human rights in China and has already paid a heavy price for his involvement. He was, essentially, convicted for exercising his freedom of speech and should never have been sentenced to jail in the first place. Chinese authorities carry a heavy responsibility if Liu Xiaobo, because of his imprisonment, has been denied necessary medical treatment. The Committee hopes that he will now be released without conditions and offered the best possible treatment for his illness, whether it be in China or abroad. Finally, the Committee would like to confirm its standing invitation to Liu Xiaobo to come to Oslo and receive the Committee’s tribute. Due to his imprisonment Liu Xiaobo was unable to attend the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in 2010. His designated chair at the podium in the Oslo City Hall was left empty.

Six questions to Olav Njølstad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute

Olav Njølstad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, about the release of Liu Xiaobo.

What was your first reaction when you heard about the news?
I felt relief and sorrow. Relief because he was finally out of prison. Sorrow because it appears that it took serious illness before Chinese authorities were willing to release him from jail.

Have you or anyone in the committee been in direct contact with Liu Xiaobo?
No. And we had no pre-warning that this was about to happen.

Do you think this should be interpreted in a political way or is it merely a question of Liu Xiaobo’s illness?
So far it looks more like the latter but we should not jump at any conclusion yet.

Liu Xiaobo got the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China”. What effect, if any, do you think the Prize has had since it was awarded to Liu Xiaobo?
It has helped reminding the world about the lack of political and personal freedom in China.

Will Liu Xiaobo be able to collect his prize money now that he has been granted medical parole?
If a Nobel Laureate is prevented from receiving the prize money due to imprisonment, the Board of the Nobel Foundation has previously decided that the Nobel Laureate may collect the money when he or she is released. In the case of Liu Xiaobo there is no information yet regarding the possibilities for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize medal, diploma and the prize amount awarded to him in 2010.

The announcement of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize is less than four months away. Has the work been going well? Will we have a Laureate(s) to announce on October 6th?
The work is proceeding according to plan and I am very confident that there will be something to report from Oslo that day.

For more information:
https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/