The nephew of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has gone on trial in a case seen by rights groups as retaliation for Chen's escape from house arrest earlier this year.

The father of Chen Kegui said his son faced charges Friday in the northeastern Yinan County Court that he assaulted officials who stormed into his house looking for his uncle. Earlier, the defendant had been charged with murder, but his family says charges were downgraded because officials did not have enough evidence to prosecute.

Chen Guangcheng had been under 19 months of house arrest in eastern Shandong province for exposing forced abortions and other wrongdoing by local officials. In April he escaped and fled to the U.S. Embassy, setting off a diplomatic dispute between Beijing and Washington. He was evetually allowed to go to the U.S. to study. The blind lawyer is now living in New York City.