More then one empty chair at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

2010 Nobel Peace Prize was the first time in 74 years the esteemed $1.4 million award was not handed over. The  last was in 1936 when Hitler prevented German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky from accepting his award. Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu is serving an 11-year sentence in China on subversion charges for urging sweeping changes to Beijing’s one party communist political system. Authorities have placed Liu’s supporters, including his wife Liu Xia, under house arrest to prevent anyone from picking up his prize.

Massive security was outside Liu’s apartment in Beijing  and several dozen press were turn away by uniformed police to a restricted area.With his Nobel Peace Prize diploma and medal placed in his empty chair,  Liu Xiaobo was given a standing ovation at the award ceremony as dignitaries demanded his release. China pressured foreign diplomats to stay away from the Nobel ceremony.

China and 17 other countries declined to attend, including Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Cuba and Venezuela. At least 46 of the 65 countries with embassies in Oslo accepted invitations.Among them were U.S. Ambassador Barry White and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In Beijing, both BBC TV and CNN went black at 8 p.m. local time, exactly when the  ceremony was taking place.