On July 10, 2018, government authorities in China allowed Liu Xia, a photographer and human rights advocate, to leave the country following constant international calls for her release. Liu Xia is the widow of Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Laureate who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2008 for “inciting subversion” after coauthoring “Charter 08,” a statement signed by over 350 Chinese intellectuals and civic leaders that demanded democratic reform in China. Liu Xia has been detained under house arrest since 2010 without charge or trial simply for supporting her husband. Through advocacy of Chinese rights activists and international community, she was finally released to receive medical care in Germany following reports that her mental health had increasingly declined throughout her detention, due to isolation from the outside world and restricted contact with friends and family. Learn more about Liu Xia’s story here.
