Chen Guangcheng’s Nephew Charged With Voluntary Manslaughter
The nephew of the Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng has been charged with voluntary manslaughter, amid growing concerns about reprisals and intimidation of lawyers.
The arrest comes as a senior lawyer defending Chen described to the Guardian how he lost his hearing in a beating by a senior state security official after he tried to visit his client in hospital last week.
Chen - a self-trained “barefoot lawyer” - has risen to international prominence since his intrepid escape last month from extrajudicial house arrest cast a harsh light on China’s repressive domestic security policies and triggered a flurry of bilateral diplomacy.
But while he is now confident of his own safety, fears are growing about his family and lawyers.
The activist’s nephew Chen Kegui faces a sentence ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty after he brandished a meat cleaver at intruders who burst into his home in Linyi, Shandong province, during the search for his uncle.