Front Line Defenders Executive Director Mary Lawlor (centre) and staff celebrate the birthday of Chinese HRD Chen Guangcheng in expression of solidarity with Chinese human rights defenders.

Further Information

On Saturday 12 November Chinese human rights defender Chen Guangcheng celebrates his 40th birthday. Known as the blind barefoot lawyer, Chen is held under house arrest - his mobile phone signal is blocked and his house is watched by three teams of 22 people 24 hours a day. He is in poor health and has no medical treatment.

Members of the Chinese Campaign to Support Chen Guangcheng have been beaten and turned away. Chen was released after four years in prison on 9th September and immediately isolated in his home with his wife, mother and 6 year old daughter. After his release from prison Chen stated, “I have come from a small prison and walked into a larger one.”

Chen Guangcheng is supported by a growing number of Chinese people who have spoken out on his behalf in a campaign mobilised via blogs, Twitter and Weibo. The growing community of ordinary people interested in his situation is an indication that they believe he should be immediately released.

“Chen Guangcheng is not a criminal - he hasn't embezzled funds or fomented revolution. He has defended the economic rights of small farmers and argued that those with disabilities should have the use of free public transport. He has also exposed forced abortions and sterilizations. For this, he has been arrested, beaten, imprisoned and held under house arrest with his family. Chen Guangcheng represents decency and respect for the rights of others. We appeal to the Chinese government to release him from house arrest on humanitarian grounds and allow him access to medical treatment,” said Mary Lawlor, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders.

Speaking at a ceremony in Dublin to celebrate Chen Guangcheng's birthday, Ms. Lawlor said: “Although we are so far away, we are very close to you in our imagination. And while you and your family face great difficulties at this moment, we remember the words of Louis Mann, 'Only eyes washed with tears can see clearly'. We are with you in hope and solidarity on this special day."

For further information please contact:

Jim Loughran, Head of Media and Communications,

Tel +353 1 212 37 50 Mobile +353 (0)87 9377586

Editor's NOTE

Chen Guangcheng began his human work by defending the economic rights of farmers and arguing for the rights of the disabled for the use of free public transport. He was also active in exposing forced abortions and sterilisations in and around Linyi City in Shandong Province.

In June 2005, Chen went to Beijing to file a class-action lawsuit against the Linyi authorities on behalf of women who had been subjected to abuse at the hands of family planning officials. The suit was rejected by the court. In August 2005, Chen and his family were placed under house arrest. In March 2006, Chen was taken from his home by police and disappeared for three months.

Chen was formally arrested in June 2006 and his trial took place in Yinan County, Shandong province, in August 2006. The night before the trial, three members of his defence team were detained, and a fourth was beaten by unidentified men. His lawyers were prevented from entering the courtroom and in their place, Chen was defended by a court-appointed lawyer who was unfamiliar with the case.

After a trial which lasted two hours Chen was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment on charges of damaging property and “organising a mob to disturb traffic”. An appeals court ordered a retrial in November 2006, but the original verdict was upheld when the retrial took place the following month.

Chen’s health deteriorated in prison, where he developed chronic diarrhoea and, according to Yuan Weijing, was beaten by other inmates.

House arrest:

Chen was released, having served his sentence in full on 9 September 2011 and immediately placed under house arrest along with his family – his wife, his mother and his six year old daughter. His ten year old son is in the care of relatives in another town.

In the past 12 months, the family’s situation has deteriorated drastically as their treatment has steadily worsened. On 9 February 2011, a video smuggled out by Chen and Yuan Weijing in which they detail the conditions of their house arrest was made public by the US-based NGO China Aid. In it, the couple describe how their house is watched by three teams of 22 people 24 hours a day. Following the release of the video, reports began to surface that Chen and his wife had been severely beaten in a reprisal attack.

Since his house arrest began, a small number of human rights defenders in China have been running a campaign to raise awareness of Chen’s case and to demand his release. This has been coordinated mostly online, through blogs, Twitter and Weibo, but it has also included trips by individual human rights defenders to Dongshigu village in an attempt to visit Chen and his family.