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Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic on the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize award to Mr. Liu Xiaobo

(This article expired 12.10.2013.)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes award of Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Liu Xiaobo, imprisoned Chinese dissident and leading figure of the Charter 08, as an expression of appraisal and support to all, who by peaceful means strive for freedom and respect for human rights in the world.

The Czech ministry considers the existence and publication of the Charter 08, which was inspired by the Czechoslovak “Charta 77”, an expression of emancipation of civil society in China. In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs renews its call for the release of Mr. Liu Xiaobo from prison. At the same time it continues to follow closely the situation of other Charter 08 representatives.

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel also welcomed the award of Nobel Peace Prize to Mr. Liu Xiaobo. Vaclav Havel was a staunch supporter of Mr. Liu Xiaobo ´s candidacy, as evidenced by the article he wrote for the New York Times on September 20, 2010. The article can be found here. After the award, in an article for the Washington Post which can be found here, Mr. Havel called for the release of Mr. Liu Xiaobo.