The top US law enforcement official has called on China to release Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize Winner.
Talking to reporters in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder said that China should release Mr. Xiaobo and fulfill its global human rights obligations.
"The case of Liu Xiaobo is an unfortunate one", he said. "Given his status and his recognition by the Nobel committee, I think it's incumbent upon the Chinese government to react in an appropriate way and consistent with its international treaty obligations and release him".
Mr. Xiaobo,
the first Chinese national to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, was
sentenced to 11 years in prison after calling for democratic reform in
China. His wife has also been put under house detention since the award
was announced on 8th October.
However, Holder said that Xiaobo's
case is not likely to be part of this week's meeting with Chinese
officials. He said that he is expecting to hold "frank" talks on
counterfeiting and piracy issues.
"No
one country is responsible for all the problems that we face in the
world," he added. "No one country can solve the problems that we face in
this area… That means working with our Chinese counterparts, having
frank conversations and building on the progress that we can make", the attorney general said.
Holder is in Hong Kong for an international summit on dealing with intellectual property rights violation. Chinese officials said that their government is determined to ensure effective protection for intellectual property rights.
