Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo gets Nobel Peace Prize

The news travelled like wildfire. Imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for using nonviolence to demand fundamental human rights in his homeland.

The award ignited a furious response from China, which accused the Norwegian Nobel Committee of violating its own principles by honouring "a criminal."

Xiaobo, an impassioned literary critic, political essayist and democracy advocate was repeatedly jailed by the Chinese government for his writings.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison for subversion in 2009. The Nobel committee, however, said he was the first to be honored while still in prison, although other Nobel winners have been under house arrest or imprisoned before the prize.

As soon as the news spread, supporters of Xiaobo holding his picture gathered outside a park in Beijing to show their respect towards Xiaobo's work.

The Chinese government though, reacted to the news negatively. Chinese state media immediately blacked out the news and Chinese government censors blocked Nobel Prize reports from Internet websites. China declared the decision would harm its relations with Norway.

In this picture, security cordon has been laid outside Xiaobo's Beijing residence fearing law and order problems. (AP Photo)

The Nobel committee, however, praised Liu's pacifist approach, ignoring threats by Chinese diplomats. The picture shows Mr Thorbjoern Jagland(left), chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, holding a photograph of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.

On the right is a supporter of Xiaobo, holding his photograph and expressing her happiness at his achievement.

This January 2010 photograph was taken in Hong Kong during a candle light vigil organised by the pro-democracy protesters.

The vigil was held just after Xiaobo was jailed. (AP Photo)