Jane MacCartney for the Times Online:
China’s most prominent dissident has been formally arrested after more than six months in detention at a secret location near Beijing on charges that could bring a lengthy prison term.
Liu Xiaobo had been held virtually incommunicado under “residential surveillance”, allowed only two visits from his wife, since he was taken from his Beijing home on December 8 – a day before publication of a document he co-authored calling for democracy in China.
It said Mr Liu, 53, had confessed to the charges. This is the first time the longtime critic of the government has faced such serious charges. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years, his lawyer said. His lawyer, Mo Shaoping, told The Times he would demand an immediate meeting with Mr Liu.
See also CDT’s previous articles on Liu Xiaobo and Charter ’08, the document Liu co-authored that likely led to his arrest. See also a post from Siweiluozi’s Blog that excerpts comment on the arrest from blogger Liu Lu.
