Chen Guangcheng, the blind dissident, described his suffering during 20 months
of house arrest in China as "beyond imagination".
In his first major interview since arriving safely in the US six days ago, Mr
Chen said that the Chinese
government's campaign of persecution against his family and supporters had
stepped up since he left the country.
"I'm very worried. We can see their retribution against my family since
my escape has continued and been intensified," he told CNN.
Mr Chen escape from house arrest and decision to seek refuge in the US Embassy
in Beijing led to a major diplomatic struggle that reached the highest
levels of the US and Chinese governments.
The 40-year-old's older brother, Chen Gangfu, was reportedly tortured after he escaped in April and on Tuesday also fled his village, dodging a series of guards to reach Beijing.
Mr Chen's nephew, Chen Kegui, has been charged with attempted murder after he
drew a knife against security officials who raided his home.
"When dozens of men break into someone's house with weapons in the middle of the night, taking away your parent with a hood over his head and detain him without any legal basis and then go back to assault my nephew, he only reacted when he could no longer bear the beatings, and his actions would be self defense according to any Chinese law," Mr Chen said in his nephew's defence.
He claimed that Chen Kegui, 32, had suffered severe head injuries and been repeatedly beaten during the incident.
Mr Chen also praised the small band of supporters who helped him escape from his home village of Dongshigu in northeastern China.
"When a group of people come together and accomplish something, they often fight for credit. In my case, all those people who went to Shandong to pick me up, when the news broke, they were fighting for risk instead of credit," he said. "They were all trying to claim responsibility to make others safer."
Mr Chen was also asked about his long crusade to expose forced abortions carried out by the Chinese government under the one-child policy.
The 40-year-old's older brother, Chen Gangfu, was reportedly tortured after he escaped in April and on Tuesday also fled his village, dodging a series of guards to reach Beijing.
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| Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng arrives in New York. (REUTERS) |
"When dozens of men break into someone's house with weapons in the middle of the night, taking away your parent with a hood over his head and detain him without any legal basis and then go back to assault my nephew, he only reacted when he could no longer bear the beatings, and his actions would be self defense according to any Chinese law," Mr Chen said in his nephew's defence.
He claimed that Chen Kegui, 32, had suffered severe head injuries and been repeatedly beaten during the incident.
Mr Chen also praised the small band of supporters who helped him escape from his home village of Dongshigu in northeastern China.
"When a group of people come together and accomplish something, they often fight for credit. In my case, all those people who went to Shandong to pick me up, when the news broke, they were fighting for risk instead of credit," he said. "They were all trying to claim responsibility to make others safer."
Mr Chen was also asked about his long crusade to expose forced abortions carried out by the Chinese government under the one-child policy.
"It was natural for me, it was very natural for me. I feel it's in
people's nature to want to stop evil and embrace the good," he said.
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