The Chinese government has continued its attack on the families of dissidents.

Liu Hui, the brother-in-law of Nobel-winning Charter 08 organizer Liu Xiaobo, was sentenced to eleven years in prison this weekend. The government claims he had defrauded a man in a property deal. But Liu Xia—Liu Xiaobo’s wife, who has been held under house arrest since October 2010, despite never being formally accused of anything—says her brother’s sentencing was politically motivated and “simply persecution.”

Liu Hui’s sentence is significant not only for its severity but also its timing. It came just as Xi Jinping and President Obama concluded a two-day summit. As the New York Times reports, “Some analysts and human rights advocates interpreted [the verdict’s] harshness as a message to the Obama administration that China’s new leaders do not intend to bow to Western pressure on human rights.”

If that’s the intended message, the Obama administration should outright ignore it. Another recent news item proves instructive.

Blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest last year, where he was detained and beaten for defending victims of forced abortion and sterilization.

After Chen’s escape, the Chinese government vented their wrath on his family. They raided the house of his nephew, Chen Kegui, who defended himself with a knife, injuring authorities. That act of self-defense got him 39 months in prison, where he has reportedly suffered beatings. Recently, Kegui was diagnosed with acute appendicitis, but the authorities refuse to allow him proper treatment, putting his life at risk.

And this spring, thugs threw rocks, bricks, beer bottles at the home of Chen Guangfu, Chen Guangcheng’s elder brother. They also threw objects intended to be interpreted as threats — dead poultry as bird flu claimed lives in China, as well as paper money traditionally burnt for the dead.

Finally, in May, Chen Guangfu was beaten by two young men dressed in black, presumably either government officials or their paid thugs. At the time, Guangfu told the South China Morning Post that the government “can’t do anything about Guangcheng, so they are taking revenge on me.”

The U.S. decried these attacks on Chen Guangcheng’s family. A May 10 letter signed by both House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Secretary of State John Kerry to meet with Chen Guangcheng and raise the plight of his family in official talks. Kerry has reportedly discussed the matter with Chinese officials, as have Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and Ambassador Gary Locke.

The diplomatic pressure seems to be paying off, albeit in small ways. Late last week, the Chinese government finally granted passports to Chen Guangfu, as well as Chen Guangcheng’s mother. That opens up the potential for them to travel to the United States to visit the blind lawyer. Although the two reportedly won’t seek asylum, their visit may encourage Chen Guangcheng to continue his outspoken advocacy for rights in China. Meanwhile, his mother and elder brother would temporarily be removed from harm’s way.

The real lesson here is that international attention focused on China’s abuses yields results. The United States should keep up the pressure.