Release Nobel laureate Xiaobo, wife: US to China

The United States has expressed its deep concern over the conviction of Liu Hui, the brother-in-law of Nobel Peace laureate and imprisoned activist Liu Xiaobo, and called on China to immediately release the activist and his wife.

"We urge Chinese authorities to release Liu Xiaobo, as well as his wife Liu Xia, immediately and to guarantee Liu Xiaobo and his family members the protections and freedoms to which they are entitled under China's international human rights obligations and commitments," said State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki.

The US is deeply concerned that Liu Hui, the brother-in-law of Nobel laureate and imprisoned activist Liu Xiaobo, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for purportedly engaging in fraud related to a disputed land deal, she said in a statement.

"In May, 2011, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined the arrest and imprisonment of Liu Xiaobo and the extralegal house arrest of his wife Liu Xia to be in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," she said.

"History shows that upholding universal rights is ultimately a key to success, prosperity, and justice for all nations," Psaki said.