ChinaAid News Flash: Chinese Officials Start Paperwork for Blind Legal Activist Chen Guangcheng to Leave China

China Aid Association
(Beijing—May 16, 2012). Less than 24 hours after a Congressional hearing on the plight of Chen Guangcheng, during which the blind activist and lawyer was able to speak directly to the hearing, Chinese officials visited Chen at his Beijing hospital room on Wednesday to deliver the forms needed to apply for a passport to leave the country.

The officials from the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department also collected the passport fees for Chen and his family of four and said their passports would be issued within 15 days.

ChinaAid’s founder and president Bob Fu believes the progress on Wednesday toward bringing Chen and his wife and two children to the United States was directly the result of Tuesday’s hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health & Human Rights on “Chen Guangcheng: His Case, Cause, Family, and Those Who are Helping Him.”

Fu also expressed appreciation for the Shandong Public Security Department for handling Chen’s exit procedures according to the law.

ChinaAid looks forward to the early arrival of the Chen family to the United States so that he can rest and pursue further studies, and calls on the whole world to continue to follow the developments in the situation of Chen’s relatives in Shandong, where their safety is at risk, particularly Chen’s nephew, Chen Kegui, who is currently facing retaliatory criminal penalties.

China Aid Contacts
Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director
Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.chinaaid.org