Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 24, 2014
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and writer Liu Xiaobo today spends the fifth anniversary of his conviction for “inciting subversion” in prison, serving out an 11-year sentence.
The United States remains deeply concerned that China continues to incarcerate Liu Xiaobo and hold his wife, Liu Xia, in extralegal house arrest.
Liu Xiaobo is a courageous and eloquent spokesperson recognized throughout the world for his long and non-violent advocacy for human rights and democracy in China.
We reiterate our call on China to release Liu Xiaobo and to remove all restrictions on Liu Xia.
We also urge China to release all individuals detained for peacefully expressing their views, including Ilham Tohti and his students, and Pu Zhiqiang, Gao Zhisheng, Yang Maodong, Gao Yu, and Xu Zhiyong.
In addition, we request that Chinese leaders guarantee them the protections and freedoms to which they are entitled under China’s international human rights commitments.
I raise human rights concerns in each and every one of my conversations with President Xi and other Chinese leaders, because it is too important to stand in the way of China’s emergence in the community of nations.
