It’s a bit too easy to forget the luxuries that come with an American citizen. Most of us have grown up without giving a second thought to amenities like running water and 24-hour power. Most of us have laptops and cell phones with instantaneous wireless access to everything the Internet has to offer. We can afford to have our food delivered to us, we can elect and dismiss those who govern us, and we wake up every day living in a peaceful, war-free nation. You probably take all of this for granted — we know we do.

Liu Xiaobo enjoys none of these freedoms.

In April of 1989, 100,000 students descended upon Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the authoritarian government’s oppression of intellectual and democratic freedoms. These demonstrations continued through June 4, when the Chinese Government ordered the soldiers and tanks of the People’s Liberation Army to clear the square. Official estimates on the death toll range from 241 — the official tally given by the Chinese government — to 7,000, the NATO tally.

Liu is a writer, political commentator and former professor at Beijing Normal University. He was also a visiting scholar in the United States during the 1989 protests, but returned to China to participate. He’s credited with saving hundreds of student lives at Tiananmen during the height of the protest, and was jailed until January of 1991 for “spreading messages to instigate counterrevolutionary behavior.” He was also jailed for an additional three years and six months on two separate charges during the late half of the 1990s, and was under house arrest when not in prison.

In December 2008, Liu authored “Charter 08,” a document signed by 350 Chinese intellectuals that promoted political reform and the democratization of China, asking for freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, social security and a guarantee of basic human rights among other things.

Liu was arrested by Chinese officials on June 23, 2009, and charged with “suspicion of inciting the subversion of state power.” His wife was not allowed to attend his arraignment, and diplomats from more than a dozen democratic countries, including the United States, were also denied access. Citing “Charter 08” as evidence against him, Liu was sentenced on Christmas Day of the same year to 11 years imprisonment and two years’ deprivation of political rights.

Last week, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” The Chinese government has condemned the Nobel committee for this decision, dismissing it as a political ploy and calling it a desecration. All news of the announcement was immediately censored from Chinese TV and Internet access as part of a media blackout. Liu’s wife, Liu Xia, is currently under house arrest, has had her cell phone shut off by the Chinese government, and was barred from notifying her husband of the prize — and the $1.7 million it comes with — until days later.

Democracy cannot, should not, and will not be stopped. China is the last superpower with an authoritarian regime. It is home to 1.4 billion people, and recently surpassed Japan as the No. 2 economy in the world. The question is not if the Chinese regime will recognize fundamental human rights, but when. We commend the bravery of Mr. Liu. We admire his dedication, eloquence and personal sacrifice. We sincerely hope the Chinese government will commute his sentence, and in time, relinquish power to its rightful owner: the Chinese people.