Activists' families targeted in harassment campaign
When a government critic won't bend to intimidation, his siblings, wife and children can become the focus of a harassment campaign
Chen Guangfu has not had a good night's sleep since the early hours of April 19.
The elder brother of blind activist Chen Guangcheng was woken when a torrent of rocks, bricks and beer bottles flew into his family's courtyard, smashing roof tiles and windows.
At dawn, he found dead chickens and ducks in his courtyard and funeral paper offerings scattered outside his front door.
Similar night-time attacks persisted over the next three weeks. Trees and vegetables the family had planted were uprooted and posters insulting him and his brothers were put up around the village.
Then, on May 9, he was intercepted by a black car. Two unidentified men jumped out and beat and kicked him. His 80-year-old mother's phone line was cut and his microblog account was disabled on the same day.
The string of attacks happened soon after Chen Guangcheng asked the US government at a congressional hearing on April 9 to bar around 40 corrupt mainland officials from entering the United States. He has also criticised the Chinese government in the US and Europe in recent months for rights abuses.