Prominent dissident, democracy activist, and coauthor of Charter 08, Liu Xiaobo is now appealing his conviction and eleven year sentence on charges of "inciting subversion of state power," according to his lawyer, Shang Baojun. Liu was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment on December 25, 2009, following a short trial held behind closed doors on December 23. The verdict has been widely condemned by the international community, as well as dissidents within China.

Liu was first detained on December 8, 2008, two days before the release of Charter 08, a manifesto coauthored by Liu and other supporters of political reform in China that advocated respect for human rights and the peaceful transition to a democratic system of governance in China. Despite Liu's imprisonment, this document has collected more than 10,000 signatures to date. Liu's conviction was based on purely political grounds, as can be seen in the verdict (posted here in full in Chinese). Beyond his involvement in Charter 08, Liu was also convicted based on pro-democracy articles he wrote for publication online.

LRF has started a Twitter campaign in support of Liu Xiaobo. To join click here.