Persecuted (almost) to the end: Why Liu Xiaobo should be allowed to leave China
The 11-year sentence imposed on Liu Xiaobo in December 2009 dismayed anyone who had followed his career as a writer and activist over the previous 20 years, not only because it was completely unjustified for a man who had done nothing more than peacefully express his views, but also because its length meant that there was a real risk, given prevailing prison conditions in China, that Liu would not survive it.
