Fifteen Nobel Peace prize laureates have urged leaders of the world's top 20 economies to press China to free rights activist Liu Xiabao, the latest recipient of the prestigious prize.
In a letter published Monday, the group wrote that the release of Liu would be an extraordinary recognition of the remarkable transformation China has undergone in recent decades. Signatories include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
Liu is a veteran of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing and one of China's most prominent rights activists. He is serving an 11-year prison sentence on subversion charges.
The Nobel Committee named him this years' peace prize winner on 8 Oct, despite fierce protests from Beijing.
Leaders of G20 nations, including China, will gather for a summit in South Korean capital Seoul next month, 11-12 Nov.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.