The endless ordeal of the widow of the Nobel Peace Prize Liu Xiaobo

 Assigned to residence and exhaused, Liu Xia plans to let herself die

Beijing, May 4 (DP.net).– Until the end, Liu Xia, widow of Liu Xiaobo, herald of democracy in China and Nobel Peace Prize, pays the price of her unwavering love for her death husband. Exhausted, Liu Xia plans suicide at her house in Beijing because of Xi Jinping's persistent refusal to let her go into exile in germany. According to a relative (name non disclosed for security reasons) of the famous poet's widow, she told him: "Today, I'm not afraid anymore. If I can not leave, I will let myself die at home".

Liao Yiwu, a Chinese resident in Berlin, says the 57-year-old poet –who has been under house arrest since 2010– told him ‘Xiaobo has already left, there is nothing in this world for me’. Liao revealed Liu Xia’s despair at being unable to leave China in an open letter published on Wednesday, May 2, that gave details of a phone call between Liao and Liu, and behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to secure Liu’s release.

The exiled writer said he was shocked by Liu’s reaction, and it prompted him to release a seven-minute recording of an earlier conversation he had with Liu, with her consent. “German Chancellor [Angela] Merkel is coming [to China] soon. We want as many organisations and individuals as possible to hear Liu Xia’s own voice,” Liao said.

In the audio clip of that call on April 8, Liu is emotional and can be heard crying. She tells Liao she is ready to leave China and already has her bags packed. “You can record this now: I’m so angry that I’m ready to die here ...".

Liu Xiaobo died age 61 last year in a hospital in China. He was granted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while in jail and was represented by an empty chair at the ceremony in Oslo. The human rights activist had been condemned in 2009 to 11 years in prison on subversion charges after co-authoring a petition known as Charter 08 calling for sweeping political reforms in China.

Liu Xia’s friends have said she has been cut off from the outside world since her husband’s death, and is suffering severe depression. 

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