Liu Xia appears in a video asking for time and privacy. Hu Jia: She was forced

No news of her since her husband's funeral. The video was posted on YouTube, a site censored in China. A friend and dissident is convinced that Beijing is behind the move, to isolate her.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - For the first time since Liu Xiaobo's funeral, Liu Xia has appeared in a video published online on YouTube, which is censored in China. In the pictures, the widow claims to be "recovering" and to want time to mourn. According to a family friend, Beijing might be behind the video, intent on avoiding criticism and demands for the release of women.

Liu Xia has been under police control and house arrest since the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize for her husband in October 2010. Nobody had any news of her since  Liu Xiaobo’s funeral.

This until August 18, when YouTube's "gaudan li" user posted a video of Liu Xia. In just over a minute, Liu Xia speaks to the camera, sitting on a white couch in what seems to be the living room of a home.

" I am outside recuperating, everyone please grant me time to mourn, time for my heart to heal and one day I will be able to face you all in a healthy state," says Liu Xia. "The doctors tried their best when Xiaobo was ill and Xiaobo also viewed life and death very plainly. So I must recalibrate, and in future when I have made improvements in different aspects, I can be with you all again. "

Hu Jia, a dissident and friend of the couple, is certain that the authorities forced Liu Xia to record this video, with which they are trying  to "demonstrate that Liu Xia does not want to have contact with the outside world. We do not think it's true. "

The profile in which the message was posted was created in July. In addition to videos of Liu Xia, there are others on the page criticizing Guo Wengui. For some time, Guo has been accusing the Communist Party of corruption.

In the past, Liu Xiaobo's pictures appeared on YouTube while he was in prison, receiving medical treatment, and expressing gratitude to his prison guards.

Liu Xiaobo died of a liver cancer last July 13. The international community and human rights organizations have harshly criticized Beijing for treatment of the dissident, sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 for his role in drafting the pro-democracy "Charter ‘08" manifesto.

• China
• liu xia
• hu jia
• liu xiaobo
• human rights
• forced disappearance
• paper 08
• democracy