Father Demands Release Of Dissident

The father of an imprisoned Chinese dissident is demanding his son’s immediate medical parole, saying the man’s health is failing because of illness, beatings and a suicide attempt.

Chen Longde, 39, has bronchitis and uses crutches because of a broken hip and leg suffered when he jumped from a window, Hong Kong-based Human Rights in China said in a statement Monday.

His family said he was trying to commit suicide to avoid further beatings at Luo Shan labor camp.

His father, Chen Jinyun, accused authorities of trying to cripple his son, a factory worker who was imprisoned for three years for taking part in 1989 street protests.

Chen Longde was arrested again on May 27, 1996, for demonstrating for democracy, release of political prisoners, and a full accounting of China’s deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.

China has denied mistreating Chen.