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Journalism professor Wang Keqin and his student attacked, prevented from visiting jailed human rights lawyer's wife

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders condemns the physical attack which Beijing University journalism professor Wang Keqin and one of his students sustained when they tried to visit the wife of imprisoned human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng in Linyi country (in the northeastern province of Shandong) on 8 March 2009.

"We urge the Shandong provincial government to investigate this incident and to ensure that Chinese and foreign journalists are able to visit Chen's wife, Yuan Weijing," Reporters Without Borders said.

Wang and his student were verbally and physically attacked by five or six individuals as they were about to arrive in the village where Yuan lives. A former journalist, Wang has posted an entry about the incident on his blog (http://www.wangkeqin.blog.sohu.com). Censors removed it several times but Wang reinstated it each time in response to requests from many Internet users.

"I was hit but I was not seriously injured," the journalism student said, adding that "the gang's attitude was very arrogant." Yuan has confirmed that the gang has prevented both friends and foreign journalists from visiting her. She said she asked the provincial authorities to investigate the violence but she got no reply.

Chen, who is blind, was sentenced to four years and three months in jail for trying to bring a legal action against local authorities over a campaign of forced sterilisation and abortion. He is serving the sentence in Linyi prison (Shandong province).

For further information on the Chen case, see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/96830