Brother-in-law of Chinese Nobel winner jailed
- 11 years ago
A Chinese court has jailed the brother-in-law of one of China's leading dissidents.
The verdict, handed down here on Sunday, sparked outrage among rights activists.
They say the case was trumped up and is part of official retribution on the Liu family.
Liu Hui was sentenced to 11 years in jail on charges of fraud.
He is the brother-in-law of Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and critic of China's one-party rule.
In a rare interview, Liu Xiaobo's wife condemned the verdict.
(SOUNDBITE)(Mandarin) WIFE OF IMPRISONED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER LIU XIAOBO, LIU XIA, SAYING:
"For over two years, my family and I have already endured so much hardship. You could not imagine. This is a country which says it is open and has the rule of law. I have completely lost hope. I don't have a shred of confidence, a shred of hope, in this government."
Several European diplomats attended the court hearing and expressed concern with the verdict.
(SOUN
The verdict, handed down here on Sunday, sparked outrage among rights activists.
They say the case was trumped up and is part of official retribution on the Liu family.
Liu Hui was sentenced to 11 years in jail on charges of fraud.
He is the brother-in-law of Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and critic of China's one-party rule.
In a rare interview, Liu Xiaobo's wife condemned the verdict.
(SOUNDBITE)(Mandarin) WIFE OF IMPRISONED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER LIU XIAOBO, LIU XIA, SAYING:
"For over two years, my family and I have already endured so much hardship. You could not imagine. This is a country which says it is open and has the rule of law. I have completely lost hope. I don't have a shred of confidence, a shred of hope, in this government."
Several European diplomats attended the court hearing and expressed concern with the verdict.
(SOUN