BEIJING, June 26 (Reuters) - Chinese Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights activist Liu Xiaobo has been released from prison on medical parole and is being treated in hospital for late-stage liver cancer, his lawyer said on Monday in messages seen by Reuters.
Liu, 61, was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for “inciting subversion of state power” after he helped write a petition known as “Charter 08″ calling for sweeping political reforms in China.
In December 2010, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his activism promoting human rights in China, causing China to freeze diplomatic ties with Norway.
Shang Baojun, Liu’s lawyer, confirmed the news of Liu’s treatment in the city of Shenyang, and said the medical parole had been approved, in messages seen by Reuters.
Rights group Amnesty International also confirmed the news of Liu’s illness in a tweet.
When asked about Liu, China’s foreign ministry, the only government body that will regularly answer questions from the foreign media, said it was not aware of the situation.
China and Norway normalized ties in December last year.
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