Sarah Ludford MEP takes up Liu Xiaobo case

I blogged during the week about how Lib Dem peer Chris Rennard had asked a question in the Lords about Chinese Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo (and see his own post on the subject on Liberal Democrat Voice).

Now London Euro-MP Sarah Ludford is calling for action at the European level:

Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford has tabled an urgent question to the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, asking her to confirm that all 27 EU ambassadors to Norway will be attending the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo on 10 December.

Liu Xiaobo is currently in prison in China and his family under threat, and while for the first time in Nobel peace prize history it is unclear who will collect the prize for Xiaobo, the ceremony will go ahead.

Sarah Ludford said:

“China is attempting to ‘divide and weaken’ the European Union by twisting the arms of individual EU countries to boycott the prize ceremony of this extremely brave Chinese human and political rights activist, Liu Xiaobo.”

“If ever there was a time that the EU needed to display a united EU foreign policy and stand firm in the face of Chinese pressure, it’s now. If the EU ducks this one, our credibility on human rights will be shot to pieces.”