Clapping solemnly, dignitaries in Norway celebrated this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, with an empty chair. Friday’s ceremony was the first time in 74 years the prestigious $1.4 million award was not handed over, because Liu is serving an 11-year sentence in China.
China did not allow Liu’s wife to travel to Oslo to accept the award. In Beijing, both CNN and BBC TV went black at 8 pm local time when the Oslo ceremony was taking place.
The last time a Nobel Peace Prize was not handed out was in 1936, when Adolf Hitler prevented German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky from accepting his award.
India’s ambassador to Norway was among the 1,000 guests attending the ceremony, defying China’s objections.