China rejects US and EU calls for prominent dissident’s release

By RSF

Dec 15, 2009 – 9:40:54 AM

English: http://www.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=35336

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu today firmly dismissed the calls for the release of dissident Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) that were made yesterday by the United States and the European Union, which also condemned the harassment and arrests to which all dissidents in China are exposed.

Reporters Without Borders is dismayed by the Chinese government’s harsh reaction and reiterates its call for Liu’s release. “Liu is a writer and human rights activist who is well known all over the world. The judicial persecution to which he has been subject has rightly been condemned internationally. China cannot claim to be a responsible actor on the international stage if it refuses to listen to its partners’ comments.”

“These accusations are unacceptable,” Jiang said today, referring to the US and EU comments. “We oppose any external forces using this case to meddle in China’s internal affairs or judicial sovereignty.”

Charged with “subverting state authority” because of the articles he posted online and his participation in the drafting of Charter 08, a call for democratic reform, Liu is facing up to 15 years in prison. He has been held for the past year but the police have only just passed the case to the Beijing prosecutor’s office.

A total of 30 journalists and 63 cyber-dissidents are currently detained in China.

Activists have produced a seven-part video documentary entitled “Charter 08: Constitutional Democracy for China” to mark the first anniversary of Charter O8’s release. The documentary’s aim is to explain Charter 08 to the outside world, above all the context in which it was drafted, its content and its historical significance.

The first part, “Part One: a Remarkable Breakthrough at a Critical Moment,” is already online and can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/charter08video

More information about Charter 08: http://www.2008xianzhang.info/