Prominent Beijing lawyers are planning to confront local authorities next week to fight for the release of a blind whistleblower detained for exposing forced abortions and sterilisations.

The nine-month detention of Chen Guangcheng, a “barefoot lawyer” who last year began organising a class-action lawsuit against Linyi city officials because of their enforcement of the one-child policy, has become a cause célèbre for domestic human rights campaigners.