Descendants of China’s Communist founding fathers have been pushing for the early release of imprisoned Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, two unnamed sources tell Reuters. Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for inciting subversion, and received the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. Internal discussion reportedly revolves around international criticism on human rights, with hopes for an improved image abroad weighed against fears that Liu’s freedom would give critics a potent new weapon. From Benjamin Kang Lim and Michael Martina:
[… T]he back channel push for Liu’s parole shows that a debate is taking place among leaders about damage to China’s reputation caused by his jailing. It also suggests the ruling elite are not monolithic when it comes to views on dissent.
[…] “For many princelings, the pros of freeing Liu Xiaobo outweigh the cons,” one of the sources said. “Liu Xiaobo will definitely be freed early. The question is when.”