Critically ill Chinese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo’s condition is now life-threatening, the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday. Liu, imprisoned since 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power," was granted a medical parole June 26 after being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in May.

The First Hospital of China Medical University said on its website that Liu has respiratory failure and required a tube to be inserted in his windpipe to help him breathe, the AP reported, adding Liu’s family has refused a tracheostomy.

Read: Liu Xiaobo Gets Prison Parole For Cancer Treatment

"The patient is in a critically ill condition, the hospital is doing all it can to save him, and his family members understand the situation and have given their signatures," the hospital’s website stated, according to Reuters.

Liu is also suffering from renal failure, septic shock and blood clots, the hospital reportedly said.

Following are some facts about the Chinese dissident.

  • Liu was born Dec. 28, 1955, in Changchun, China.
  • Liu, who studied literature and philosophy, served as literary critic and university lecturer in Beijing. In 1988, he received a doctorate and became a guest lecturer at universities in Europe and the U.S.
  • In 1989, he participated in the Tiananmen Square protests, during which he rose to prominence. He was handed down two years of jail term for taking part in the protests. In 1996, he served three years in a labor camp for criticizing China's one-party system.
  • Liu was taken into police custody again in 2008 after he helped write "Charter 08" that called for sweeping political reforms in China. He also demanded freedom of expression, an independent judiciary and freedom of association.
  • He was arrested hour before the document was to be released on the internet. In 2009, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for subversion.
  • In 2010, Liu garnered international attention for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his “long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” The decision to give him the prize led to diplomatic tensions between Norway and China.

Read: Democracy Is Nothing To Fear, Taiwan Tells China On Tiananmen Anniversary

  • Liu is the first Chinese citizen to be awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 2010. But, because he was in prison, he could not receive the award. He was reportedly represented by an empty chair at the ceremony.
  • Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann read out a statement, which Liu had made to a Chinese court prior to his sentencing. It read: “I have no enemies and no hatred. Hatred can rot away at a person’s intelligence and conscience. Enemy mentality will poison the spirit of a nation, incite cruel mortal struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and hinder a nation’s progress toward freedom and democracy.”
  • His wife Liu Xia has been put under house arrest since Liu won the Nobel Prize in 2010. However, she does not face formal charges.
RELATED STORIES
Cancer China