On 27 April 2012, it emerged that Chinese human rights defender and 'barefoot' lawyer Mr Chen Guangcheng had escaped the brutal house arrest which he and his family had been subjected to since his release from prison in September 2010. Chen Guangcheng's current whereabouts are unknown, although it has been stated by a reliable source that he is in a secure location. Chen Guangcheng is a blind, self-taught lawyer who has defended the rights of farmers, people with disabilities and women subjected to abuse. He was also active in exposing forced abortions and sterilizations in and around Linyi City in Shangdong Province.

A fellow human rights defender involved in Chen Guangcheng's escape, Ms He Peirong, released the news on a micro-blogging site on 27 April and was reportedly detained at her home in Nanjing city at approximately 11am that morning. There are no further details of her situation at present.. According to He Peirong, Chen Guangcheng evaded the guards keeping watch over his home and left Dongshigu village on 22 April 2012. He Peirong collected him in her car and drove him out of Shandong Province to a 'safe place' in Beijing. It has been reported that although Chen Guangcheng is physically weak, he is in good spirits.

Following the discovery of Chen Guangcheng's escape, a group of guards raided a number of homes in the village, including that of Chen Guangcheng's brother, Mr Chen Guangfu, who was reportedly detained. Chen Guangcheng's nephew, Chen Kegui, on hearing people breaking into the house, armed himself with two knives and confronted the attackers, injuring a number of them. His current situation is unclear. The status of Chen Guangcheng's wife, mother and child, who remain in Dongshigu Village in Shandong Province, is also unclear.

A video of Chen Guangcheng recorded earlier this week has been released online. In that video, he says he is 'free' and 'safe', and appeals to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to investigate his house arrest and brutal treatment. He expresses his fears that his family will be subjected to 'extreme retaliation' for his escape, and he also confirms reports of serious beatings that he and his wife were reported to have suffered in 2011. He further states that up to 100 men were stationed in the village to implement the house arrest and that his young daughter was followed by three guards every day on her way to school.

In 2006, Chen Guangcheng was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for damaging property and “organising a mob to disturb traffic”. He was released on 9 September 2010. Since then, a strict form of house arrest had been enforced on him and his family, with dozens of unidentified men guarding the entrances to Dongshigu village and refusing access to anyone attempting to visit him

For more information on Chen Guangcheng, please see www.lighthonestyhrd.org.

In light of his escape from a strict house arrest, the raiding of his brother's home and serious beatings that he and his wife were reportedly subjected to in 2011, Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned for the security of Chen Guangcheng and his family, who are at grave risk of retaliation by the local authorities in Dongshigu, and for the security and physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender He Peirong while in detention. Front Line Defenders calls for the protection of Chen Guangcheng's family and fellow human rights defenders, and recalls that Chen Guangcheng's human rights activities are peaceful and legitimate.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in China to:

1. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the security and physical and psychological integrity of human rights defender Chen Guangcheng and his family, and of human rights defender He Peirong while in detention;
2. Immediately and unconditionally end the house arrest of Chen Guangcheng's family as Front Line Defenders believes this measure has been taken solely as a result of his legitimate and peaceful human rights activities;
3. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the reported assaults of Chen Guangcheng's relatives, with a view to publishing the findings and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international legal standards;
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in China are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.