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Chen Guangcheng, a human rights lawyer who has been under house arrest in China since 2010, escaped from his own home and is reportedly hiding somewhere in Beijing. Chen's supporters say he isn't trying to leave the country, but only wants to be allowed to live like a normal citizen. He reportedly had to leave his wife and daughter behind and want to negotiate for their safety as well.
Chen, who has been blind since childhood, first ran into trouble with the Chinese government after taking up the cause of thousands of women who forcibly sterilized by local officials in Linyi County. In 2006, he was convicted on charges of disturbing the peace and destroying property (despite already being under house arrest at the time) and was sent to prison for four years. He was technically released in September of 2010, but was immediately take to his home, which has been surrounded by state security guards ever since. Chen and his family have not been allowed to leave and his supporters have been denied access to the home. You may remember an incident last year, when actor Christian Bale and a CNN camera crew were attacked after trying to visit Chen. There have also been reports that Chen and his family have been beaten by the guards after passing video tapes to supporters on the outside.