The brother-in-law of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) in a letter released by the hospital treating the Nobel Peace laureate has denied that doctors have halted medication for him following rumors that he was too ill for treatment to continue.
Liu, 61, was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for “inciting subversion of state power” after he helped write a petition known as Charter 08 calling for sweeping political reforms.
He was moved from jail to a hospital in China’s northeastern city of Shenyang to be treated for late-stage liver cancer.
Photo: AP
“Liu Xiaobo has not stopped being medicated, but because his condition is grave and the tumor is rapidly progressing, after a consultation by top domestic specialists, the medication has been adjusted, with his family’s consent,” the letter read.
“I express resentment at the people who spread and create rumors and distort facts,” said the handwritten document, which appeared to be written and signed by the brother-in-law, Liu Hui (劉暉), and was released on Thursday on the hospital’s Web site.
Also on Thursday, the hospital said in a statement that doctors had stopped using Sorafenib, a drug to fight liver cancer, and Chinese medicines, because of Liu Xiaobo’s worsening condition.
Neither the statement nor the letter identified the treatments now being administered.
Earlier, the hospital had said Liu’s liver function had worsened, with his levels of bilirubin gradually rising, and that he had a thrombosis on his lower left leg.
A family friend of Liu Xiaobo said his medication had been halted, as his liver was unable to take it.
Calls have grown from rights groups, international bodies and Western governments for China to allow Liu Xiaobo and his wife, Liu Xia (劉霞), to be treated overseas if they wish.
“The Chinese government often pressures family members to write statements or record videos to make claims in its favor,” said Patrick Poon (潘燊昌), a China researcher for rights group Amnesty International, referring to the letter.
“If Liu Hui is free, why can’t he talk to journalists?” said Poon, who is based in Hong Kong.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) declined to comment on questions about Liu Xiaobo’s treatment and media access to his family.
However, he expressed displeasure at the involvement of the UN, after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke with Chinese officials about Liu Xiaobo.
“Relevant UN officials should strictly abide by the UN Charter’s purposes and principles, should respect China’s judicial sovereignty and not interfere in China’s internal affairs,” Geng told a news briefing.
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