Yuan, who is the subject of round-the-clock surveillance, said she had seen Chen only twice since he was detained three-and-a-half years ago. The last visit was in December last year.

The prominent, self-trained lawyer was arrested in March 2006 and jailed for four years and three months for organising a crowd to interrupt traffic and for deliberately damaging public property.

It was widely believed Chen was imprisoned for representing thousands of women in Linyi who were forced to have abortions or sterilisations in 2005 so that officials could meet family planning quotas.

'Perhaps because of the opening of the 11th National Games in [provincial capital] Jinan today, my application to see my husband has been rejected since May,' Yuan said.

Chen has written to the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the National People's Congress to sue local governments in Shandong for illegal imprisonment.

Yuan said her husband had repeatedly pleaded for a reduction of his jail term as his behaviour had been good and he should have qualified for this treatment a long time ago.

She said prison authorities had said they would consult officials at a higher level over the application, but nothing had materialised.

The mother of two said she was banned from leaving her home except to buy food, which meant she had almost no chance of visiting her parents or six-year-old son, who lives with her sister.

'Sometimes I feel so depressed that as a mother, I have failed to see my son even when he was sick,' said Yuan, who is living with her daughter.

'I'm most concerned about Guangcheng's condition. I desperately hope he will be released for medical treatment as soon as possible, either on a medical parole or an early release.'