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Chinese activist Hu Jia described on Sunday how blind activist Chen Guangcheng made his escape from his village in Linyi county in China's eastern Shandong Province.
Police authorities detained Hu for 24 hours of questioning on Saturday after his meeting with Chen. Hu said he was deprived of sleep.
Hu spoke to foreign media about his friend's escape.
[Hu Jia, Chinese Activist]:
"We talked about how Guangcheng climbed over a high wall in the middle of the night and fell more than 200 times, how he wounded himself when he fell down from the wall and couldn't stand up. But he kept going and stumbled forward. And, as I remember, he said it took 20 hours to get past all these obstacles to get to the people waiting to meet him."
Hu said Chen stayed indoors for long periods, so those watching him would get used to not seeing him for a few days.
After escaping from security guards, Chen's supporters helped him make the 300-mile trip to the US Embassy in Beijing.
Hu said Chen has no intention of seeking political asylum in the United States.
[Hu Jia, Chinese Activist]:
"He believes change in this country is not very far off. He feels this is an era in which civil rights will increase to unprecedented heights, and change in Chinese society has already become like a tide that cannot be suppressed. And in this period, he hopes to stay here, to continue the struggle. If you ask my opinion, I would say that he very clearly wishes to stay in this country."
Chen's wife Yuan Weijing, his child, and his mother are still in Shandong. Texas-based rights group ChinaAid said Chinese authorities surrounded Chen's house after his escape.
Chen was imprisoned for four years in 2006 on charges of damaging public property, organizing groups to disturb traffic, and pressuring the local authorities.
