The United States Calls for the Release of Liu Xiaobo's Wife from House Arrest

The U.S. Secretary of State expressed sorrow over the death of Liu Xiaobo, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and urged the Chinese government to free Mr. Liu's wife, who has been under house arrest since 2010, and allow her to leave the country. Rex Tillerson described Liu Xiaobo as a person who sacrificed his life for the promotion of 'peaceful democratic reforms.' Liu Xiaobo, a well-known Chinese civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, passed away on Thursday at the age of 61 due to liver cancer after years of imprisonment. Liu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while he was serving an 11-year prison sentence for attempting to overthrow the Chinese government. Tillerson stated that Mr. Liu 'embodied the human spirit in his struggle for freedom, equality, and the rule of law in China.' Sigmar Gabriel, the German Foreign Minister, also called on the Chinese government to allow Liu Xia's husband and brother to leave China. Berlin had recently requested that Beijing permit the continuation of this Nobel laureate's treatment outside of China, possibly in Germany. Gabriel expressed deep regret that China did not allow Liu Xiaobo and his wife to leave. Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, also emphasized in a statement that Mr. Liu should have been allowed to leave China for his medical treatment. Britt Rice Anderson, the current head of the Nobel Committee in Norway, placed the 'heavy responsibility' for Liu Xiaobo's death on the 'Chinese government,' stating that from the Nobel Committee's perspective, 'he committed no criminal acts' and 'his trial and imprisonment were unjust.' The United Nations also released a statement saying that Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General, was 'deeply saddened' to hear of Mr. Liu's death. Meanwhile, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, referred to Liu Xiaobo as 'an iconic figure of peace and democracy in China,' noting that he dedicated his life to the peaceful defense and promotion of human rights. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 'Liu Xiaobo will be an inspiration and a model for all human rights defenders.' Chinese media reports indicate that Liu Xiaobo was released from prison for treatment at the time of his death, but what has angered critics of the Chinese government is that his cancer was diagnosed less than a month prior due to his imprisonment, when the cancer had reached its most advanced stage.