Activists invited to Nobel ceremony

Mr. Yang said more than a dozen people had already responded via e-mail, saying they hope to attend but he declined to identify them for privacy and security reasons. When a list is finalized, Mr. Yang will give it to the Nobel Committee, which, he said, has agreed to issue invitation letters to help guests obtain travel visas for Norway.

Mr. Yang said that despite his excitement about bringing people together, the event was tainted by the fact that Mr. Liu himself remains in prison.

“We can’t forget that our real, real hero, Liu Xiaobo, is still languishing in prison, and his wife is under house arrest,” he said.

One of the invitees, Beijing lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, said Monday he had heard about the letter but had not yet seen it for himself.

“If I am able to go, I think it would be a wonderful thing,” he said.

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