SHENYANG: The body of China’s late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo was cremated Saturday after a private ceremony attended by his family, as Beijing faces international pressure to let the dissident’s wife leave the country. Officials released photos showing his wife, the poet Liu Xia, with her brother, Liu Xiaobo’s brother and friends in front of the body, which was covered with white petals and surrounded by flowers at a funeral home. After his death, the United States and European Union called on Beijing to free Liu Xia, who has been under house arrest since 2010, and let her leave the country. “As far as I know, Liu Xia is in a free condition,” Zhang said, though it was unclear whether she was released as he did not provide more details about her situation. Hu Jia, a Beijing-based activist, said authorities should prove that Liu Xia was free.

Source: New Strait Times July 15, 2017 04:27 UTC