Chinese Dissident Liu Xiaobo wins Nobel Peace Prize

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Liu Xiaobo - Chinese Dissident

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The most prominent Chinese Dissident Liu Xiaobo has been given the Nobel Peace Prize.

Liu Xiaobo is known for his long time non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.

The Chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland, said that Liu Xiaobo was a symbol  for the fight for human rights in China. 

"China has become a big power in economic terms as well as political terms, and it is normal that big powers should be under criticism," Jagland said.

The 54 year old Lui Xiaobo has been an advocate for peaceful and gradual change in China, avoiding violence.

He co-authored Charter 08, which called for great freedoms and the end of dominance of the Chinese Communist Party.  As of May 2008 the Charter had collected 8600 signatures.  In October 2008, two days before the official release of the charter, Liu Xiaobo was arrested 

:Liu and Zhang Zhang, another dissident, were detained on suspicion for collecting signatures for the charter.  Zhang Zhang was later released, while Liu was charged and went to trial.

Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment and two years' deprivation of political rights by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court on charges of "inciting subversion of state power." According to Liu's family and counsel, he plans to appeal the judgment.

China had warned Norway about awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo and others in 2008 and 2009.

Liu Xiaobo, in all likelihood, will be the last one to find out that he won the Nobel Peace Prize.  China has blacked out Western media like CNN when the announcement was made.

There were 237 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and Liu Xiaobo was the favourite, receiving support from Desmond Tutu.and the Dalai Lama.