Liu Xiaobo and Yang Jianli, along with many other friends, gathered after Yang Jianli gets released from Beijing prison. 2007
Washington, D.C. October 25, 2010 – The wife of the jailed 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has asked longtime friend, and fellow democracy activist, Dr. Yang Jianli, to coordinate on her behalf all the activities associated with the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.
“We hope the Chinese government will cooperate in this great moment for all the peoples of China and supporters of democracy around the world,” said Dr. Yang. “However, it is the wish of Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia that the award ceremony proceed even if one or both of them is prevented from attending.” The ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Oslo, Norway. Liu Xia’s intent is to ensure there is an appropriate way for all Chinese and others who come to Oslo to share in the experience, even though the highly limited number of invitations to the ceremony itself make it inevitable that most will need to view the events from an alternative venue.
Yang Jianli is a Harvard fellow and President of Initiatives for China, the Boston based movement for advancing a peaceful transition to democracy in China. Yang was a political prisoner in China for five years. He was released in 2007 following demands for his freedom from the U.S. Congress and the United Nations.
Liu Xia has been under house arrest and constant surveillance by the Chinese government authorities since the day her husband was named as Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Initiatives for China Director Jim Geheran said, “This event is a watershed moment for peace and justice and will be a cause for celebration by all the people under Chinese rule.”
Dr. Yang is supported in these efforts by Freedom Now, which serves as Liu Xiaobo’s pro bono international legal counsel and is working to secure his release from prison and his wife’s release from house arrest.
The team of international legal counsel and human rights specialists organized by Freedom Now on this representation includes Maran Turner, its Executive Director; NYU Law Professor Jerome A. Cohen; Canadian Member of Parliament and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General Irwin Cotler; Former Canadian Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Asia Pacific David Kilgour, and Dr. Yang Jianli.
The joint work team email addresses are nobellxb@gmx.com and nobellxb@gmail.com