Wearing masks of the faces of Liu Xiaobo and Gao Zhisheng, dissidents imprisoned in China, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) protested on Human Rights Day in front of the Chinese embassy in Berlin for the immediate release of the unjustly imprisoned human rights activists. "Giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo is like giving the award to all human rights activist in China," stated Ulrich Delius, head of the STP's Asia section, on Friday in Berlin. "He symbolically represents dozens of civil rights activists in China, who have served or are serving long prisons sentences based on unfair trials or no trials at all."

"The award for Liu Xiaobo is not directed against the people of China, but rather serves as a reminder to the Chines government that it must ensure basic human rights for all its citizens, in keeping with binding agreements that Beijing has already made," continued Delius. China cannot use the security forces of the United Nations to pursue its own interests on the one hand, while on the other hand ignoring the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "Tibetans, Uighurs, Mongolians, persecuted Christians and Falun Gong followers have been waiting in vain for more than 60 years for human rights to be observed in the People' Republic," criticized Delius.

"The harsh reaction of the Chinese government shows just how important this signal from Oslo really is," Delius stressed. Since the recipient was announced, all of the leading Chinese civil rights activists have been systematically locked up and silenced. China's leaders have called Xao's commendation an "anti-Chinese farce," defaming the courageous decision of the Nobel committee.

Gao Zhisheng, China's most important human rights lawyer, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. He had attracted attention far beyond China's borders with his legal defenses of Christians,

Falun Gong followers and impoverished peasants and migrant workers. No sign of Gao Zhisheng has been seen for over seven months now. He was abducted by Chinese security police on 4 February 2009 and not heard from for 400 days. Amid growing international concern, he was finally allowed to call family and friends in late March 2010. But just four weeks later, security forces once again blocked all contact. "We fear for his life," said Delius.

For further Information please contact Ulrich Delius: 0049 - 551 - 4990627

Translated by Elizabeth Crawford