Her husband, Liu Xiaobo, was convicted of subversion in 2009 and sentenced to 11 years in prison after he wrote and disseminated the Charter ‘08 document calling for democracy. He was awarded the peace prize in 2010, an embarrassment for the Chinese government, which denounced the award.
Confined to her apartment, Liu Xia is not allowed to interact with most of the outside world save her immediate family—and only with permission. Xu said Liu Xia could support herself by selling her art pieces, but she apparently is not permitted to do so.
“This just makes me want to ask Chinese authorities: will you only be happy if you drive Liu Xia crazy, or drive her to death?” Xu said.
Beijing police did not immediately respond to a faxed list of questions.
Liu Xiaobo's incarceration and the plight of his wife and her family have raised concerns among rights groups and some Western governments.
On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the American PEN Center issued a joint letter urging U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to raise the issue with Chinese leaders when he arrives Wednesday.
