Accessibility links

Breaking News

Nineteen Countries To Miss Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony


Nobel Peace Prize winner and dissident Liu Xiaobo with his wife Liu Xia. Liu is currently serving a prison sentence in China.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and dissident Liu Xiaobo with his wife Liu Xia. Liu is currently serving a prison sentence in China.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee says China and 18 other countries have declined invitations to attend the December 10 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

It said that the envoys of 19 countries -- including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine -- will miss the event "for various reasons."

Meanwhile in Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman (Jiang Yu) denounced supporters of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu as 'clowns' taking part in a farce.

The Nobel committee has said China had carried out an unprecedented campaign to keep envoys away from the gala for Liu, who is serving an 11-year jail term.

compiled from agency reports

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG