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Backstory: Dissident Lawyer Chen Guangcheng's Jailbreak

MAY 4, 2012, 12:00 PM

View the story "Tracking Chen Guangcheng's Roller Coaster Ride" on StorifyTracking Chen Guangcheng's Roller Coaster RideEscape from house arrest: check. Get into the US embassy: check. End up surrounded by Chinese government officials in a Beijing hospital? That probably wasn't part of the plan, but that's where dissident lawyer Chen Guangcheng is now. Follow LinkAsia to find out who he is and where he's going next. Storified by LinkAsia · Fri, May 04 2012 21:40:23Before he made headlines this week, only China followers, human rights groups, and Chinese activists knew who Chen Guangcheng was. LinkAsia contributor David Bandurski covered the story for us last year, as Chinese social media started spreading news about his plight. Blind Lawyer's Plight Spurs Debatelinktv

Western media briefly picked up the story of Chen's house arrest when the actor Christian Bale tried -- and failed -- to visit the blind activist at his home.

'Batman' star punched, stopped from visiting blind Chinese activist ...As Christian Bale approached an impromptu checkpoint leading to this tiny village in eastern China, four ... December 15, 2011|By Steve...But with his dramatic escape from house arrest last week, Chen Guangcheng made global headlines and stayed there. At first, no one knew where he was. Most reports speculated that he was hiding out in the US embassy in Beijing. More alarming were the reports indicating that his relatives and friends were being rounded up by Chinese officials. BBC News - Chen Guangcheng's escape sparks China round-up5 days ago ... Concern is growing in China for relatives and friends of blind activist Chen Guangcheng, who escaped from house arrest l...Chen Guangcheng Escapes, But Chilling Signs for His Family ...Chen Guangcheng Escapes, But Chilling Signs for His Family. April 27, 2012. By C. Custer. For those of you who live in the wrong hemisp...Then, in short order, it was confirmed that the American embassy had sheltered Chen, that Chinese and American officials had agreed on a deal for Chen to leave the embassy, and that Chen was being hospitalized for a foot injury that he had sustained while escaping from house arrest. Chen Guangcheng leaves US embassy in Beijing | World news ...2 days ago ... Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese activist who fled a punishing 19-month regime of house arrest and fled to Beijing, ha...Chen Guangcheng leaves U.S. Embassy in Beijing - Xinhua ...2 days ago ... BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- It is informed here Wednesday that Chen Guangcheng, a native from Yinan County of eastern Chi...The deal was that Chen and his family would move to Tianjin, far away from the town and the officials that had imprisoned them. There, Chen Guangcheng would get the chance to formally study Chinese law. But after an overnight stay at the hospital, the deal, which had seemed like a diplomatic win for the Americans, seemed to fall apart. Chinese Dissident Leaves U.S. Embassy but Disputes Deal ...1 day ago ... While the blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng gave varying reasons for leaving American protection, he maintained that he did no...Did threats against family force Chen Guangcheng to leave US ...2 days ago ... Chen Guangcheng with US Ambassador Gary Locke at the American Embassy in Beijing earlier this week. ... a deal was repor...The timing of Chen's escape could not have come at a worse time for the US, coming as it did on the eve of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, high-level bilateral talks with China covering a wide range of issues. Many felt that the Americans had rushed through the negotiations in order to smooth the way for the impending talks. Activist Chen Guangcheng wants to leave China with Hillary Clinton ...1 day ago ... Blind activist Chen Guangcheng says he wants to leave China only temporarily, accuses Beijing of trashing deal on restori...Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng wants to leave China - Americas ...1 day ago ... The Obama administration's diplomatic predicament deepened Thursday when a blind Chinese legal activist who took refu...Now, it seems there's another proposal on the table, one that manages to save face for both China and the US. Chen says he wants to leave China, temporarily, to study law in the United States. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin says Chen can apply to study abroad, and US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says the visa for Chen and his immediate family would get priority attention. Chen Guangcheng to Become Coolest Foreign Exchange Student ...11 hours ago ... On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said Chen can apply to study abroad in ... Meet Zeng Jinyan, Chen Guangcheng&#...'Elegant Solution' Possible For Chinese Activist; He May Study ...13 hours ago... that Chen Guangcheng may apply to study at a university outside China. ... to travel to the United States, but only tem...The new proposal has yet to be confirmed as a done deal. US officials are understandably hesitant about calling this one successful just yet, especially since Chen is still in Chinese custody. Stay on top of the story by watching LinkAsia tonight, when we'll have more coverage of the Chen Guangcheng story.