Blind Chinese Activist Beaten in Jail

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | The New York Times
05 July 2007

The wife of a blind human rights activist said Thursday she evaded surveillance officers to make a trip to the Chinese capital, where she tried to find out how her husband could serve his jail sentence at home.

Chen Guangcheng, 36, was beaten by fellow inmates last month after he refused to have his head shaved, his wife has said, leaving him with cuts on his legs and swollen ribs. A shaved head is a defining characteristic of Chinese inmates and Chen -- protesting his innocence -- had refused to wear his hair any shorter than a crewcut.

Yuan Weijing said she remained concerned about her husband's well-being in jail.

''I think his life in there is very unsafe,'' said Yuan, 31, adding that her husband relies on other inmates to bring him food.

According to Chinese law, seriously ill inmates can apply to jail officials to serve their sentences in a hospital or at home.

Chen was convicted in August 2006 on charges of instigating an attack on government offices in Dongshigu. Police said he was upset with workers sent to carry out poverty relief programs.

He also was accused of organizing a group of people to disrupt traffic, allegedly delaying hundreds of vehicles for three hours, including an ambulance carrying an expectant mother.

His supporters say the charges were fabricated after he documented complaints that officials trying to enforce China's birth-control regulations had forced villagers to have late-term abortions and sterilizations.

Yuan arrived in Beijing on Wednesday and said she planned to meet with Chen's attorney to push for his release because he is unable to take care of himself. She also wanted to find out how blind inmates are treated in other countries.

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