Liu Xia “Ready to Die” Amid Renewed Calls for Release
Since the death of imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo last July, the extra-legal house arrest his wife Liu Xia has endured since his award in 2010 has continued despite hopes for her release. Following months of delays, her friend and fellow writer Liao Yiwu has released his account of a recent phone call with a despairing Liu Xia, together with an audio recording. Human Rights Watch’s Sophie Richardson commented on Twitter that “even if you do not speak a word of Chinese, [Liu’s] agony here is absolutely, excruciatingly clear” in the posted audio. Its publication, with Liu’s consent, is part of a broader shift towards a more vocal approach from supporters who had remained quiet in an effort to avoid derailing her release. From Liao, at China Change: