The nephew of Chinese blind dissident Chen Guangcheng has been denied his family's choice of lawyers to defend a charge of "intentional homicide" when he allegedly used knives to fend off local officials who he said burst into his home in April, a day after they discovered his uncle had escaped house arrest. His lawyers said he did not kill anyone, but he could face the death penalty if found guilty of the charge. China has always been wary of lawyers who could challenge its power, and authorities have frequently sought to prevent them from taking up politically sensitive cases.
