DOZENS of the world’s leading writers and artists, from Michael Chabon to Paul Auster and Khaled Hosseini, called on China on Wednesday to release the widow of dissident Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo and let her seek medical treatment abroad. Liu Xia, 57, has been under de facto house arrest — despite facing no charges — ever since her husband was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, a recognition that deeply angered the communist regime.

The group of 82 released videos on Wednesday of themselves reading excerpts of Liu Xia’s poetry as part of a campaign for her freedom. They included Nobel literature prize laureate JM Coetzee, Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Chabon, American novelist Auster and Chinese-born writers Hu Ping and Ma Jian. Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, said in a statement: “As artists who are free to speak (we) must do so on behalf of other artists whose voices are being stifled.” The video campaign was jointly organised by PEN America and Amnesty International.

Liu Xia faces daily restrictions on movement and surveillance, although Chinese authorities maintain she is free. Her friends told AFP she is taking medication for depression and has suffered heart problems and fainting. Liu Xiaobo, a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, died last year while serving an 11-year jail sentence for “subversion”, making him the first Nobel laureate to die in custody since the era of Nazi Germany. The campaign for the widow’s release came two weeks after reports emerged that Liu had told a friend she was ready to “die at home” in protest at her continuing detention.

Diplomats from the French, German, Canadian, British and European Union embassies tried to visit her at her Beijing apartment last Friday amid growing concerns about her psychological health. But security guards prevented them from seeing her and China’s foreign ministry later warned foreigners not to interfere. AFP reporters have tried to visit Liu’s home multiple times in recent years but were blocked each time by plainclothes men.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018