Liu Jingsheng

Liu Jingsheng (Chinese刘京生; born January 5, 1954 in Beijing) is a Chinese dissident, journalist and trade unionist.

He was co-editor of the democratic underground newspaper Tansuo, which he founded in the late 1970s with Wei Jingsheng. Since 1978, he became involved in the movement Democracy Wall. After he was arrested once before, after the suppression of the Beijing Spring, he was again arrested on 28 May 1992. Only in 1994 it arrived in Beijing before the Intermediate Court for trial. He was convicted of counter-revolutionary agitation and propaganda, as well as the establishment and management of a counter-revolutionary organization and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

1998 Liu was awarded the Pen / Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to write award.

On 27 November 2004, Liu was released after twelve years in prison for good behavior, as it is by his own admission. His political rights remained after release, however, restricted for another four years, he may, for example, have no contact with foreign journalists. After his release he resumed his work as a bus driver again.

The human rights organization Human Rights in China ( HRIC ) reported that Liu Jingsheng was suffering from high blood pressure, bowel disease and heart problems. This was due to the long detention.