Nobel laureate’s widow: Nothing in the world for menow
pler for me.’’
Liu has never been charged with a crime, but has been kept guarded and largely isolated since her husband, Liu Xiaobo, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for human rights activism in 2010. He was still serving a prison sentence for inciting subversion of state power when he died of liver cancer last summer.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press yesterday that the German government has been discussing Liu’s case with China and ‘‘will continue to do so.’’
‘‘According to the information available to us, Liu Xia has not been accused of any crime,’’ the ministry said in emailed comments. ‘‘She should be allowed to travel, also for humanitarian considerations. Should she choose to come to Germany, Liu Xia would be welcome here at any time.’’
Writing from Germany where he is living in exile, Liao said that Chinese state security agents repeatedly promised Liu Xia that she would be able to leave the country and seek treatment for her long-term clinical depression.
Germany was prepared to take her in, according to Liao: ‘‘In early April the German Foreign Minister had already made specific arrangements, including as to how they’d not alert the news media, how they’d covertly collect Liu Xia at the airport, and how they’d arrange her treatment and recovery and more.’’
But hopes for a quiet departure have not borne fruit.
Hu Jia, a dissident and longtime friend of the Lius, described Liao’s essay as a ‘‘counterattack’’ against Chinese authorities prompted by an ‘‘awakening’’ after hearing for months that Liu would soon be released.
Corroborating Liao’s account, Hu said Liu had initially been told by security agents to wait until after the 19th Party Congress last fall, when President Xi Jinping secured a second term at the helm of the ruling Communist Party. Then, Hu said, they told her to wait until after the meeting of the ceremonial legislature in March. – AP