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         Kerry to Raise Case of Jailed Chinese Dissident's Nephew Again

   by Reuters

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to raise the case of Chen
   Kegui, the imprisoned nephew of blind Chinese dissident Chen
   Guangcheng, with senior Chinese officials, the State Department said on
   Thursday.

   New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch said the younger Chen
   had been diagnosed with appendicitis and "urgently needs effective
   medical care,'' but, to their knowledge, had not been offered surgery
   for the condition.

   Chen was sentenced to more than three years in jail in November after a
   trial the United States described as "deeply flawed'' and that rights
   activists suspect was in retaliation for his blind uncle's escape from
   house arrest.

   Chen was charged after using knives to fend off local officials who
   burst into his home on April 27, 2012, the day after they discovered
   his uncle had escaped from 19 months of harsh house arrest in eastern
   Shandong province and fled to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

   Chen Guangcheng's decision to take refuge in the U.S. Embassy was
   deeply embarrassing for China, and led to a serious diplomatic tussle
   between the two nations before China allowed him to fly to the United
   States with his wife and child.

   Human Rights Watch said the nephew, Chen Kegui, called his father on
   April 24 to tell him he had been diagnosed with appendicitis by a
   prison doctor.

   "We remain deeply concerned by reports of Chen Kegui's mistreatment in
   prison, and of his acute medical condition,'' State Department
   spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters.

   "When I spoke to the secretary this morning, he again expressed his
   concern about the case,'' Ventrell added, saying Kerry had raised the
   case with China in the past "and he intends to do so directly again,
   with the Chinese leadership.''

   Kerry was likely to do so in a telephone call, Ventrell said.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/china-dissident-kerry/1653567.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/china-dissident-kerry/1653567.html