On Monday, five Chinese women were released from prison after a month-long detention.
The women — Wang Man, Zheng Churan, Wu Rongrong, Wei Tingting and Li Tingting – are all active members of China’s Women’s Rights Action Group, an organization known for promoting gender equality through events and social media. They were preparing to participate in International Women’s Day on March 8th when they were arrested and held without charge. They were accused of creating a disturbance with their distribution of posters and stickers against domestic violence, but never formally charged.
News of their arrest sparked public outcry and subsequent international support. The United States, United Kingdom and the European Union all called for their release. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, said China should support the activists in their fight against injustices toward women, not silence them.
#FreeTheFive became popular on Twitter after the activists arrest.
The government has remained somewhat silent regarding the women’s arrest and subsequent discharge, besides one statement that said the country’s judicial sovereignty should be respected.
The women were released conditionally; they are still under strict police surveillance and the investigation will remain open for another year. This allows for possibility of formal charges to be brought against them later.
Lu Jun, the co-founder of Yireping, said that the advocacy for the activists’ release has furthered legal protection of women’s rights in China.
