The husband of a woman who was forced to have a late-term abortion in the northwest province of Shaanxi appeared in Beijing yesterday, four days after disappearing amid allegations of harassment by officials in his hometown.
The whereabouts of Deng Jiyuan, 29, had been a mystery since Sunday, as his family had not been able to reach him. But his sister, Deng Jicai, said he called her yesterday afternoon to say he was safe with his lawyer in Beijing.
Deng Jiyuan and his family said they had been followed after their plight drew international attention, and Deng fled on Sunday while being followed by a woman on a motorcycle, instead of several people as usual. He had gone to Beijing for a television interview and to seek legal help.
Deng Jiyuan's wife, Feng Jianmei, was abducted and forced by local authorities in Zhenping county, Shaanxi, to abort her seven-month-old fetus on June 2. Pictures of the dead baby, seen lying next to Feng, were then posted online.
Legal academic Yang Zhizhu , who himself battled with authorities after having a second child two years ago, said yesterday that he and Beijing lawyer Zhang Kai were preparing Deng Jiyuan for a lawsuit.
Yang said that on Sunday that Deng Jiyuan had crossed a river to get away from his pursuer. He hid in a friend's home for two days, then hired a car. When he reached another town, he took a 10-hour bus ride then a 20-hour train ride to Beijing.