China Thwarting Freedom of Expression?
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Sarah Hoffman Freedom to Write Coordinator at the PEN American Center contacted me yesterday with news that renowned literary critic Liu Xiaobo has been formally indicted by the Chinese government, and that he may be tried in as little as ten days. If he’s convicted of the subversion charges against him, he could face up to 15 years in prison.
PEN is urging supporters and governments around the world to step up the pressure on Beijing to free him immediately. According to their press release of December 11:
Liu Xiaobo, a leading intellectual who played a critical role in the 1989 Tiananmen protests and who was one of the main architects of the Charter 08 Petition [ a manifesto and petition calling for greater human rights and democracy and an end to one-party rule in China. It has been signed by more than 10,000 Chinese citizens across the country, many of whom have been questioned, harassed, or briefly detained by authorities] , was formally indicted by the Beijing Municipal Procuratorate today. Liu is charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” a provision regularly used to silence writers in China.
As Kwame Anthony Appiah, President of PEN American Center put it: “We are extremely troubled that the indictment seems to follow the assertion of the Beijing Public Security Bureau that Liu committed a ‘major crime’ in drafting Charter 08 with others, and that he should be convicted of ‘inciting subversion.’ Words are not a crime, and the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed by international law and China’s own constitution. We stand in solidarity with Liu Xiaobo, and call on the Procuratorate to drop all charges and release him immediately and unconditionally.”
YOU CAN HELP. PEN America has launched a letter-writing campaign for supporters, here: http://www.pen.org/page.php/