Activists and those not previously known to be human rights campaigners have attempted to visit a blind lawyer held under house arrest in China, said an AP report on FederalNewsRadio.com. LifeSiteNews cites a separate report that speculates the lawyer, Chen Guangcheng, could be dead.

Blinded by a fever in infancy and self-taught as a lawyer, Chen became an inspiring figure among rights activists for his dogged pursuit of justice. He documented forced late-term abortions and sterilizations in his rural community, angering authorities. He was eventually imprisoned for four years, the AP report said.

Online calls by activists to visit him have drawn unusually large support, with some traipsing to his village and being detained, questioned and even beaten.

Activists who have tried to draw attention to Chen’s continued house arrest include Liu Shasha and He Peirong, who have both been detained in previous attempts to visit Chen.

In a phone interview, He said that by Liu’s rough tally, around 20 people have tried visiting Chen this past week, although in a few cases it was impossible to verify their identities because they do not use their real names on Weibo. She said it was encouraging to see other individuals take up the cause.

“It was unexpected that there would be so many spontaneous responses to the calls to visit him, especially from so many ordinary people with no previous experience in rights defense work,” He said. What the authorities “are doing to Chen Guangcheng has already exceeded what we can tolerate. If they continue to do this, it will soon become a citizens’ movement.”

The LifeSiteNews website said a report by Voice of America (VOA), stated that villagers had said, “Chen is dead already.”

VOA says it is attempting to verify Chen’s status.

FULL STORY AND RELATED COVERAGE

China activists renew efforts to see blind lawyer (FederalNewsRadio.com/AP)

Reports: famed blind Chinese pro-life activist Chen Guangcheng may be dead (LifeSiteNews.com)

Visitors to Chinese Blind Rights Lawyer Chen Guangcheng Disappear (NTD Television)

PHOTO CREDIT AND VIDEO

Screenshot from video uploaded to gloria.tv, Free Chen Guangcheng! China’s One Child Policy