Liu Xiaobo

Full Name: 刘晓波 / Liu Xiaobo
Profession: Writer and Human Rights Activist

Biography: Liu first came to prominence in the 1980s as a literary critic while outside China.

Since returning to China to support the Tiananmen Square movement in 1989, he has been imprisoned several times—from 1989 to 1991, from 1995 to 1996, from 1996 to 1999. All of these have been justified by his alleged involvement in the subversion of the Chinese state.

After this period of intermittent imprisonment, Liu served in a variety of roles adjacent to his activist work in media organisations.

Then in 2008 he was detained again for his involvement in the Charter 08 manifesto, in 2009 he was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment for this; it was while imprisoned at this point that Liu was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."

Liu, the first Chinese citizen to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, died of liver cancer on the 13th of July 2017 while on medical parole.

Born: December 28, 1955
Birthplace: Changchun, Jilin, China

Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Capricorn

Died: July 13, 2017 (aged 61)
Cause of Death: Liver cancer