» 02/11/2011 10:15 CHINA Police beat Chen Guangcheng and his wife over video on his arrest The beating was not "deadly", but the police prevented the couple from going to hospital for treatment. The activist living under house arrest de facto despite having served a sentence of four years. Chen had reported forced abortions and sterilizations in Shandong.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews / CHRD) - Sources from the China Human Rights Defenders confirm that Chen Guangcheng, a blind activist in Shandong, and his wife, Yuan Weijing were beaten by the Lin Yi security forces and police.
The incident occurred on February 8 last night. According to sources, the beating was "serious" but not "fatal." However, the police have prevented the activist and his wife from going to hospital for treatment.
The CHRD believes that this violence is connected to a video on Chen Guangcheng, released recently by China Aid. In the video, the activist declares he was still in detention, even though he had served his sentence of four years. Neither he nor his wife can go out, their phone is cut off, their friends kept at a distance.
In December 2006, Chen was sentenced by a court, accused of having damaged public property and inciting people to create roadblocks. In fact the ruling was the authorities’ revenge. In July 2005, Chen had denounced the coercive means by which officials in Linyi implement birth control: illegal detentions, frequent beatings and even forced abortions. Thanks to his denunciation, it was shown that in 2005 the authorities of Shandong have forcibly sterilized more than 7000 people.
