Nobel Peace Prize And The Empty Seat (PHOTOS)

Imagine being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and you can’t even watch it on T.V. Thats how it feels to be this year’s recipient of the coveted prize, Liu Xiaobo. Screens went black across China today as the jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo.

An empty chair on center stage represented his absence and dignitaries in the audience clapped their hands slowly for two minutes after the literary critic’s name was read out.

Known for its overwhleming censorship, Beijing was incensed when the 54-year-old, Xiaobo, who is currently serving an 11-year jail term on subversion charges, his opposed the one-party rule in China. China has now ended all programming from the BBC to CNN and knocked out all coverage of the event. The ceremony went on as scheduled, take a look at some of the highlights.

An exhibition at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo,highlights this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo.

An exhibition at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo,highlights this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Liu Xiaobo.

Supporting freedom: Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta look on before before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo.