Supporters of blind Chinese dissident lawyer Chen Guangchen say he has escaped from house arrest, under which he has lived for a year-and-a-half.

Chen, who campaigned against forced abortions under China's “one child” policy, had been held under house arrest since he was released from a four-year prison sentence in September 2010.

Bob Fu, president of the U.S.-based rights organization ChinaAid, said Friday that Chen was safe and had been moved to a location far from his home in the village of Linyi in Shandong province.

Fu said Chen was able to leave his home on April 22 and his friends escorted him to a safe location. Fu said Chen's wife, daughter and mother are still at the family's home, which was surrounded by local authorities after they found him gone on Thursday.