Translation by HRIC.

On December 10, 2009, the day the Beijing Municipal Intermediate People’s Procuratorate indicted Liu Xiaobo, 165 signers of Charter 08 issued an online statement claiming shared responsibility with Liu Xiaobo for any punishment imposed. Other signers of Charter 08 actively responded to this initiative. By December 28, 2009, Liu’s birthday and also three days after he received an 11 year sentence, more than 520 people had signed the statement. The full list of signatures from December 10 through December 28 is available at http://www.2008xianzhang.info and http://www.hrichina.org. This online statement continues to draw additional support and signatures.

We Wish to Share the Responsibility with Liu Xiaobo

As Chinese citizens who co-drafted or co-signed Charter 08 with Mr. Liu Xiaobo, having learned that he is about to face prosecution and receive a sentence, we wish to once again reassert ourposition.

First, we have always believed that China’s development and progress must be based on comprehensive guarantees of human rights, the full realization of justice, improvements toward the rule of law, and systemic move toward democracy. Without this, the unbalanced prosperity, the increasingly widening social gap between the rich and the poor, and social conflicts brought on by grave injustices can only continue to generate. On this point, we uphold the same ideals and pursue the same goals as Mr. Liu Xiaobo.

Second, we were willing to sign Charter 08 and endorse its ideas because we are concerned about our country’s current state and future. It was also an expression of our right to assume civic responsibility in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, and we have neve rbelieved that signing Charter 08 has violated any laws or regulations currently in effect.

Third, if Mr. Liu Xiaobo is indicted for this, then each one of us is part of the legal case and the indictment of Mr. Liu Xiaobo places each one of us on the defense bench. If Mr. Liu Xiaobo is judged guilty, then by the same verdict we are all guilty. We can only share the sentence with Mr. Liu Xiaobo.

December 10, 2009