Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia on December 10, 2010, at a solemn ceremony held at Oslo City Hall. Liu Xiaobo was represented at the event by an empty chair. On the chair were placed the Nobel Peace Prize diploma and medal. Seated on the dais were the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. (Photo by Scott London)
Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia on December 10, 2010, at a solemn ceremony held at Oslo City Hall. Liu Xiaobo was represented at the event by an empty chair. On the chair were placed the Nobel Peace Prize diploma and medal. Seated on the dais were the five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, from left, chairman Thorbjørn Jagland, Kaci Kullmann Five, Sissel Rønbeck, Inger-Marie Ytterhorn, and Ågot Valle, along with its permanent secretary, Geir Lundestad. Thorbjørn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee opened the ceremony of music and readings with a presentation speech explaining why the award was "necessary and appopriate," despite strong reactions from the Chinese government. Seated on the dais were four members of the Nobel Committee and its permanent secretary. An additional chair, which remained empty, and an enlarged portrait, represented Liu Xiaobo himself. Also in attendance, seated front and center, were King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, along with about 1000 other dignitaries and specially-invited guests.
Size: 5184px × 3455px
Location: Oslo, Norway
Photo credit: © Scott London / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2010, authoritarianism, award, ceremony, chairman, china, chinese, city, committee, dais, democracy, hall, human, jagland, lectern, liu, nobel, oslo, peace, podium, presentation, prize, rights, speech, thorbjoern, thorbjorn, xiaobo
