Liu Xiaobo, 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Speaks Of Humanitarian Ideals In 2008 (VIDEO)

Liu Xiaobo, 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Speaks Of Humanitarian Ideals In 2008 (VIDEO)

Liu Xiaobo may be riding a wave of international interest after winning the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, but the pacifist ideals for which the Chinese dissident has been honored have been close to his heart for decades.

Though the 54-year-old activist is currently serving an 11-year sentence for subversion in a Chinese prison, Xiaobo freely speaks of China's restrictive regime in this interview, shot roughly one year before he was imprisoned in 2009.

"The situation in China is like this: As long as you don't challenge the regime, or you don't directly criticize the leader, you can say anything you want," he says. "But the moment you challenge the system, there is a difference there."

Having participated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Xiaobo acknowledged personal sacrifices he had made in standing out against the regime, but went on to note, "I know it's difficult, but I consider it a moral duty."

Watch the full interview with the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner here:

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