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Nobel Laureate's Widow Freed After 8 Yrs Of House Arrest

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Deepali
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China has allowed Liu Xia, the widow of Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, to be freed from house arrest. She has been under house arrest since her husband won the prize in 2010. Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel peace prize in absentia for his activism in China.

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According to reports, Liu Xia is boarding a flight to Germany. She is leaving Beijing after eight-years of ordeal and days before her husband's one-year death anniversary.

Liu Xia was never charged with any crime. The release of Liu from the house arrest is the result of the years of campaigning by Western governments and activists.

While there were no criminal charges against Liu Xia, her husband Liu Xiaobo was serving a prison sentence for inciting subversion. He was jailed in 2009 and died last year from liver cancer

Liu Xia’s brother, Liu Hui, wrote on a social media site, “Sister has already left Beijing for Europe at noon to start her new life. Thanks to everyone who has helped and cared for her these few years. I hope from now on her life is peaceful and happy.”

Also: Iranian Gymnast Detained Over Dance Videos On Instagram

Her friends and advocates wanted that Liu to be released so that she can seek proper medical health to treat depression. In May, her friend Liao Yiwu, a Chinese writer, released a phone call recording in which Liu said that it was "easier to die than live".

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She described the mental torture she was suffering. As per the call records, she said, "I've got nothing to be afraid of."

She said, "If I can't leave, I'll die in my home. Xiaobo is gone, and there's nothing in the world for me now."

For years, Liu Xia has expressed that she wants to go to Germany, where she has a circle of friends. German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised Liu Xia’s case with Chinese officials during a visit in May. When Liu Xiaobo died last year, Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel requested the Chinese government to let Liu Xia and her brother leave the country for Germany.

State security allocated guards round-the-clock outside Liu’s Beijing home. She had no access to the Internet and the outside world. She was allowed to make phone calls occasionally with a small circle of friends.

China’s celebrated the news of her release.

Also Read: Woman Protests Trump Immigration Policy On US Independence Day

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Deepali Is An Intern With SheThePeople.TV

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