EU criticises Chinese dissident's sentence
(BRUSSELS) - The Swedish EU presidency condemned Friday a Beijing court's decision to jail Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo for 11 years, saying it raised concerns about freedom of speech and right to a fair trial in China.
"The Presidency of the European Union is deeply concerned by the disproportionate sentence against the prominent human rights defender Liu Xiaobo," it said in a statement.
"The verdict against Mr Liu gives rise to concern with respect to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial in China," the statement added.
Judges convicted Liu, 53, of "inciting subversion of state power" after he co-authored a pamphlet last year that called for human rights protection and the reform of China's one-party communist system.
His 11-year jail sentence was handed down on Christmas Day, drawing stinging criticism from rights groups and free press campaigners.
Text and Picture Copyright 2009 AFP. All other Copyright 2009 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.