US, EU call for jailed China dissident's release
(BEIJING) - The United States and the European Union on Thursday called for the immediate release of leading Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo after his 11-year jail term was upheld on appeal.
US ambassador Jon Huntsman said in a statement after the ruling that Washington was "disappointed" and lamented what he called the "persecution" of citizens expressing their political views.
"We are disappointed by the Chinese government's decision to uphold Liu Xiaobo's sentence of 11 years in prison on the charge of 'inciting subversion of state power'," Huntsman said.
"We believe that he should not have been sentenced in the first place and should be released immediately," he added.
"Persecution of individuals for the peaceful expression of political views is inconsistent with internationally-recognized norms of human rights."
Simon Sharpe, an official from the European Union delegation in China, told reporters at the courthouse that the EU also called for Liu's unconditional release.
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