Blind Chinese activist 'escapes' from house arrest
CHINA: Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese lawyer who won global
acclaim for uncovering rights abuses under China's "one child" policy,
has escaped from house arrest, his supporters said Friday.
Chen had been unable to leave his home in east China since he was
released from a four-year jail sentence in September 2010. He has
reportedly endured several beatings and is believed to be in poor
health.
"He was able to get out of his home on April 22 and his friends were
alerted and escorted him to a safer location outside of (his home
province of) Shandong," Bob Fu, a US-based activist in close contact
with Chen, told AFP.
The claim was supported by a China-based supporter of the lawyer.
Fu -- a former Tiananmen Square democracy activist who fled China in
1996 after being persecuted for his religious beliefs -- was unwilling
to describe the circumstances of Chen's escape from Donggushi village
for safety reasons.
Fu said he had been in direct communication with the supporters who
had escorted Chen to a safe location.
Fu added he had been in contact with the US Congress, State
Department, and the US embassy in China "to alert them and seek help for
Chen Guangcheng and those who help him and are hiding him". AFP |