Chen Guangcheng

Chen Guangcheng is a Chinese human-rights activist and self-taught legal advocate known as a “barefoot lawyer.” Blind since childhood, he campaigned for the rights of farmers, disabled people, and other marginalized communities, gaining international attention after challenging abuses connected to China’s birth-quota policies in Shandong. His imprisonment and subsequent house arrest made him an internationally recognized figure in China’s rule-of-law and human-rights debates.