Guangfu, Guangcheng's elder brother, was under close monitoring since the blind dissident's escape. Now he is in Beijing looking for a lawyer to represent his son Kegui who has been charged with "intentional homicide" after he tried to defend himself (without killing anyone) when police stormed his home.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Chen Guangfu has escaped from Dongshigu village in Shandong. The elder brother of Chen Guangcheng, he and his family have had to endure persecution by the authorities who have put them under tight police surveillance since the blind dissident's flight. The latter is currently in the United States to study law. Guangfu fled to the capital from his village to seek legal counsel for his son, Chen Kegui, who is in custody for "intentional homicide."

After Chen Guangcheng's spectacular escape from house arrest following four and half years in jail, his brother Guangfu did the same. As guards slept, he snuck out at night, crossed fields and got to the capital by car after a six-hour drive through side roads.

In Beijing, he met lawyer Ding Xikui to ask him to represent his son Kegui who is accused of "intentional homicide" because he grabbed kitchen knives to defend his family against local officials and thugs who had entered their home after his uncle's escape.

Ding Xikui is a well-known human rights lawyer. With colleague Si Weijiang, he had offered to defend Kegui, but Linyi authorities rejected the proposal and instead appointed two government lawyers.

Ding, who told the foreign press that Chen Guangfu does not want government lawyers to represent his son, said that they were negotiating with the authorities Kegui's case.

In any event, the homicide charge makes no sense since no one was killed.

• china
• shandong
• chen
• chen
• guangcheng
• guangfu
• kegui