Beijing Intellectual Liu Xiaobo Harassed on the 19th Anniversary of Tiananmen Crackdown

(Chinese Human Rights Defenders, June 4, 2008) – On the 19th anniversary of the crackdown on the Tiananmen demonstrations, Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波), prominent Beijing dissident and intellectual, was seized by Beijing police. Liu was released a couple of hours later.

At 6 p.m. today, Liu and his wife Liu Xia (刘霞) were on their way to dinner when they were stopped outside of their apartment block by officers from the local police station under the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB). Head of the police station led the effort to seize Liu: he grabbed Liu's head and neck while several other policemen grabbed Liu's arms. Together, they forcibly dragged him to a small house nearby. Liu was released a couple of hours later but is now barred from leaving his home.

Liu is a human rights defender, writer, social critic and former president of the Independent Chinese PEN. He was imprisoned for twenty months for participating in the 1989 pro-democracy movement. Between 1996 and 1999, he was detained for three years in a Re-education through Labor camp for criticizing the Chinese government. Liu continues to be closely monitored by the authorities and his freedom of movement is often restricted during sensitive times. Prior to the 19th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre on June 4, police from the National Security Unit of Beijing PSB questioned and warned Liu against writing articles about the crackdown.