A Chinese rights lawyer stripped of his license for taking on sensitive cases has been arrested in the Southeast Asian country of Laos, with activists and family members worried he will be deported back to China where he could face prison time.

Lu Siwei was seized by Laotian police Friday morning while boarding a train for Thailand. He was on his way to Bangkok to catch a flight to the United States to join his wife and daughter.

“I’m extremely worried for his safety,” said his wife, Zhang Chunxiao, in a text message. “If he’s sent back to China, he’d definitely be imprisoned.”

[The Chinese are definitely stepping up the ‘disappearance’ squads. ~ Beege]