2008年12 月23 日
中华人民共和国主席胡锦涛
北京市西城区中南海
尊敬的胡锦涛主席：
我们是来自世界各地的学者、作家、法律界人士和人权工作者。 我们特此给您写信，是为了表达我们对遭受任意羁押的文学批评家、原北京师范大学中文系讲师刘晓波先生的极度关切。
刘晓波先生是享誉海内外的一位倍受尊崇的学者文人。12月8日夜晚，他被警察从北京的家中带走。警察随后对他家进行了几个小时的搜查，抄走了他的电脑、手机、书籍和他的大部分作品。
至今为止，警方还没有给出羁押刘先生的任何法律依据。警察机关未能在中国法律规定的时限内通知刘先生的家属或律师他被羁押的地点和理由。这是明显的违法执法。
由于刘先生的被羁押发生在"零八宪章"公布前夜，又由于警方在羁押刘先生的同时，也传唤或训问了其他几位"零八宪章"的联署人，我们推测刘先生被羁押仅仅是因为他行使了中国宪法及国际法所保障的表达言论的自由，因为《零八宪章》不外乎倡导和平推动中国的人权保护和民主进程。
刘先生的活动从来都是和平和依法的。尽管他曾经两度因写文章批评中国政府被任意关押数年，但他从来没有被判定为有罪。近年来，刘先生针砭中国时弊、推动人权民主的文章广泛传播，刘先生的声誉也由此日渐增长。刘先生历来反对诉诸暴力。在他的文章中，刘先生赞扬过修改中国宪法中的有关条款以保护和尊重人权和财产权，他也多次认可中国公民社会的发展。
我们注意到，作为中华人民共和国的主席，您自己经常承诺要加强中国的法制建设。最近，您强调: "我们所要建设的社会主义和谐社会，应该是民主法治、公平正义 ... 的社会。"因此，我们敦促您信守自己对保障中国公民表达他们对公共事务意见的权利的承诺。
要让国际社会认真看待中国经常提到的对人权和法治的承诺，要让中国公民相信中国的司法机关能合理地伸张他们的冤怨、找到合理的解决方案，中国最高领导人的当务之急就是要确保没有人仅仅因为他们和平地表达观点而被关押和骚扰。
同样重要的是，中国各级司法机关要停止使用"煽动颠覆国家政权罪"的法律条款来迫害像刘晓波这样的通过和平方式提出批评建议的异见者，并立即无条件释放刘晓波。
Edoardo Albinati
Writer
Italy
Elisabeth Allès
Director, Centre d'études sur la Chine Moderne et Contemporaine (Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary China)
École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
France
Vincenzo Balzani
Professor, Department of Chemistry
University of Bologna
Italy
Geremie R. Barmé
Federation Fellow, College of Asian & Pacific Studies
Australian National University
Australia
Robbie Barnett
Professor of Tibetan Studies
Columbia University
USA
Richard Baum
Professor of Political Sciences
University of California in Los Angeles
USA
Jean-Philippe Béja
Senior Researcher, CNRS/CERI Paris, CEFC
Hong Kong
Robert Benewick
Emeritus Professor of Politics
University of Sussex
UK
Gregor Benton
Professor of Chinese History and Archeology
Cardiff University
Wales, UK
Bernard Bernier
Professor, Department of Anthropology
Université de Montréal
Canada
Robert Bernstein
Founding Chair, Human Rights Watch
USA
Thomas P. Bernstein
Professor Emeritus, Political Science
Columbia University
USA
Igor Blazevic
Director, One World Human Rights Film Festival
Czech Republic
Board of International Pen
Jiri Grusa, President, International PEN
Eugene Schoulgin, International Secretary, International PEN
Cecilia Balcazar, Board Member
Mike Butscher, Board Member
Takeaki Hori, Board Member
Eric Lax, Board Member
Yang Lian, Board Member
Mohamed Magani, Board Member
Kristin Schnider, Board Member
Karin Clark, Chair International PEN's Writers in Prison Committee
UK
Michel Bonnin
Professor, Centre d'études sur la Chine Moderne et Contemporaine (Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary China)
École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
France
Anna Bravo
Historian
Turin University
Italy
Alessandra Brezzi
Associate Professor
University of Urbino
Italy
Vincent Brossel
Head of Asia-Pacific Desk
Reporters Sans Frontières
Jean-Pierre Cabestan
Professor and Head, Department of Government and International Studies
Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong
Claude Cadart
Researcher (Retired)
CNRS/CERI Sciences-Po, Paris
France
William A. Callahan
Chair in International Politics
Co-Director, British Inter-University China Centre
University of Manchester
UK
Anita Chan
Visiting Research Fellow, Contemporary China Centre
Australian National University
Australia
Gordon G. Chang
Writer
USA
Kristen Cheney
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
University of Dayton
USA
Joseph Cheng
Professor of Political Sciences, City University
Hong Kong
Cheng Yingxiang
Researcher (Retired)
CNRS/CERI Sciences-Po, Paris
France
Leïla Choukroune
Assistant Professor of Law
HEC Paris School of Management
France
Martin Chung
Lecturer, School of Arts, Letters and Sciences
Macao Inter-University Institute
Macao
Marcello Cini
Physicist
Professor Emeritus
La Sapienza University, Rome
Italy
Jerome A. Cohen
NYU School of Law
USA
Patrizia Dado
Associate Professor of Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature
Faculty of Oriental Studies
La Sapienza University, Rome
Italy
Gloria Davies
Convenor of Chinese Studies
Monash University
Australia
Michael C. Davis
Professor of Law
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Sara L.M. Davis
Executive director
Asia Catalyst
USA
Bob Dietz
Asia Program Coordinator
Committee to Protect Journalists
USA
Jean-Luc Domenach
Senior Researcher
CERI-Sciences-Po (Institute of Political Sciences), Paris
France
Michael W. Dowdle
Faculty of Law
National University of Singapore
Singapore
June Teufel Dreyer
Professor, Department of Political Science
University of Miami
USA
Ryan Dunch
Associate Professor, History and Classics
University of Alberta
Canada
Umberto Eco
Professor of Semiology
University of Bologna
Italy
Richard Louis Edmonds
Visiting Professor in the Committee on Geographical Studies
Center for East Asian Studies
University of Chicago
USA
Fang Lizhi
Professor of Physics
University of Arizona
USA
Feng Chongyi
Deputy Director, China Research Centre
University of Technology, Sydney
Australia
Ernesto Ferrero
Writer, Director of the International Book Fair of Turin
Italy
Eric Florence
Researcher, Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies
University of Liege
Belgium
Marcello Flores
Professor, Comparative History
University of Siena
Italy
Christine Fréchette
Coordonnatrice
Chaire d'études politiques et économiques américaines (CÉPÉA)
Montréal, Canada
Edward Friedman
Professor, Political Science
University of Wisconsin
USA
Matilde Callari Galli
Department Chair, Educational Sciences
University of Bologna
Italy
Anna Maria Gentili
Department of Politics, Institutions and History
Alma Mater Studiorum
University of Bologna
Italy
Carlo Ginzburg
Professor
Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa
Italy
Andre Glucksmann
Philosopher
France
Merle Goldman
Professor Emerita
Boston University
USA
Richard J. Goldstone
Former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
Learned Hand Visiting Professor of Law
Harvard Law School
USA
Nadine Gordimer
Nobel Laureate in Literature
South Africa
Lars Grahn
Book publisher, retired
Sweden
Andrea Graziosi
Professor, Contemporary History
Federico II University, Naples
Italy
Giles Gunn
Professor and Chair, Global and International Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara
USA
Tyrell Haberkorn
Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Colgate University
USA
Carol Hayman
Professor of Anthropology
Austin Community College
USA
Seamus Heaney
Nobel Laureate in Literature
Ireland
Donald Holzman
Professor Emeritus
Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
Paris
France
Marie Holzman
Writer and sinologist
France
Sharon Hom
Executive Director
Human Rights in China
USA
Jean-François Huchet
Director
French Center for Research on Contemporary China
Hong Kong
Bruce Jacobs
Professor Asian Languages
Monash University
Australia
Jean-François Julliard
Secretary General
Reporters Sans Frontières
France
Lucina Kathmann
International Vice-President, International PEN
Novelist and essayist
Mexico
Willem E.C. Van Kemenade
Visiting Senior Fellow
Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael)
The Hague, The Netherlands
Wendy Keys
Filmmaker
USA
Hari Kunzru
Writer
UK
Jeri Laber
Consultant to the Association of American Publishers
USA
Andre Laliberte
Associate Professor, School of Political Studies
University of Ottawa
Canada
Willy Lam
Professor
Akita International University
Japan
Alessandra Lavagnino
Professor of Chinese Language and Culture
University of Milan
Italy
Marc Lazar
Professor
Sciences-Po Paris (Institute of Political Science), Paris
Luiss University, Rome
Italy
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman
Vice President International PEN
USA
Steven I. Levine
Associate Director, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center
University of Montana
USA
Xiaorong Li
Senior researcher, Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy
University of Maryland
USA
Lin Xiling
Former Rightist
France
Perry Link
Chancellorial Chair for Innovation in Teaching Across Disciplines
University of California, Riverside
USA
Dimon Liu
Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, The Council of Independent Colleges
USA
Stanley Lubman
Lecturer in Residence
University of California, Berkeley, School of Law
USA
Richard Madsen
Professor of Sociology
University of California, San Diego
USA
Alessandro Marzo Magno
Writer
Italy
Victor H. Mair
Professor Chinese Language and Literature
University of Pennsylvania
USA
James Mann
Author-in-residence
Johns Hopkins, School of Advanced International Studies
USA
Barrett L. McCormick
Professor, Political Science Department
Marquette University
USA
Françoise Mengin
Senior Researcher
CERI-Sciences-Po (Institute of Political Sciences), Paris
France
Alice Lyman Miller
Research fellow, Hoover Institution
Stanford University
USA
Andrew Miller
Senior Editor, Alfred A. Knopf
USA
Marina Miranda
Associate Professor
History of contemporary China
La Sapienza University. Rome
Italy
Olivier Mongin
Directeur de la revue Esprit
France
Marc-Olivier Padis
Rédacteur en chef de la revue Esprit
France
Ronald N. Montaperto
Consultant on Asian Affairs
North Carolina, USA
Robin Munro
Research Associate, Law Dept, SOAS
UK
Andrew J. Nathan
Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science
Columbia University
USA
Barry Naughton
Professor
Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies
University of California, San Diego
USA
Valerie Niquet
Director, Asia Centre
French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)
France
Giorgio Parisi
Professor of Theoretical Physics
La Sapienza University, Rome
Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences (USA)
Italy
Enrico Parlato
Associate Professor
La Tuscia University
Italy
Pia Pera
Writer
Italy
Martyne Perrot
Researcher
Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris
France
Roberta Pierobon
Attorney
Italy
Eva Pils
Assistant Professor
Hong Kong
Anemone Platz
Associate Professor, Asian Section
Aarhus University
Denmark
Karoline Postel-Vinay
Senior Researcher
CERI-Sciences-PO (Institute of Political Sciences), Paris
France
Benjamin L. Read
Assistant Professor
Politics Department
University of California, Santa Cruz
USA
Maria Rita Masci,
Literary translator
Italy
Arthur Rosenbaum
Associate Professor of History
Claremont McKenna College
USA
Kenneth Roth
Executive Director
Human Rights Watch
USA
Elisa Rotino
Lecturer in History and Civilization of Far East
Università L'Orientale, Naples
Italy
Salman Rushdie
Author
USA
Victoria Sanford
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Lehman College and The Graduate Center
City University of New York
USA
Éric Sautedé
Lecturer
School of Management, Leadership and Government
Macao Inter-University Institute
Macao
Patricia Scott Schroeder
President and CEO, Association of American Publishers
USA
Jonathan Schwartz
Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of Asian Studies
State University of New York, New Paltz
USA
James C. Scott
Sterling Professor of Political Science and Anthropology
Yale University
USA
Jacques Seurre
Sinologist
Agence France Presse
France
James Seymour
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Tsering Shakya
Canadian Research Chair on Religion and Contemporary Society in Asia
Institute of Asian Research University of British Columbia
Canada
Satoru Shinomiya
Professor of Law
Waseda Law School
Japan
Susan L. Shirk
University of California, San Diego
USA
Joel Simon
Executive Director
Committee to Protect Journalists
USA
Gianni Sofri
Professor
Università di Bologna
Italy
Dorothy J. Solinger
Professor, Political Science
University of California, Irvine
USA
Yongyi Song
Associate Professor/Librarian
California State University
USA
Wole Soyinka
Nobel Laureate in Literature
Nigeria
Elliot Sperling
Indiana University
USA
Leslie E. Sponsel
Professor of Anthropology
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
USA
Christine Stufferin
President, Alex Langer Foundation
Italy
Su Xiaokang
Chinese writer in exile
USA
Frederick C. Teiwes
Emeritus Professor of Chinese Politics
University of Sydney
Australia
Stig Thogersen
Professor of China Studies
Aarhus Universtity
Denmark
Emilie Tran
Visiting Professor
University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong
Steve Tsang
Reader in Politics, Oxford University
UK
Toshiro Ueyanagi
Professor of Law
Waseda Law School
Japan
Jonathan Unger
Professor and Head Contemporary China Centre
Australian National University
Australia
Peter Van Ness
Contemporary China Centre and Department of International Relations Research School of Pacific & Asian Studies
Australian National University
Australia
Sebastian Veg
Researcher
CEFC (French Centre of Research on Contemporary China)
Hong Kong
Sandro Veronesi
Writer
Italy
Wan Yanhai
Director
Beijing Aizhixing Institute
China
Jeffrey Wasserstrom
Professor of History
University of California, Irvine
USA
Martin K. Whyte
Department of Sociology
Harvard University
USA
Calla Wiemer
Visiting Scholar
Center for Chinese Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
USA
Leon Wieseltier
Literary editor, The New Republic
USA
Leroy B. Williams
Professor of History and Political Science
Harvard University
USA
Richard A. Wilson
Gladstein Distinguished Chair in Human Rights
Director Human Rights Institute
University of Connecticut
USA
Wendy Wolf
Editorial director, nonfiction
Viking Penguin
USA
Dr. Guoguang Wu
Chair in China and Asia-Pacific Relations Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives
University of Victoria
Canada
Yu Maochun
Professor of East Asia and Military History
United States Naval Academy
USA
Francesco Zamponi
Researcher CNRS
Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris
France
Sam Zarifi
Director, Asia-Pacific Region
Amnesty International
UK
Kate Zhou
Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Hawaii
USA
