The New York Times’ Didi Kirsten Tatlow reports that Chinese authorities have dropped bail conditions for the five feminist activists who were released last April after being detained ahead of International Women’s Day for planning protests aimed at ending sexual harassment on public transport. Their bail conditions subject them to significant restrictions after release. Despite the dropping of bail conditions, the five women–Li Tingting, Wu Rongrong, Wei Tingting, Wang Man, and Zheng Churan–are still regarded as criminal suspects.
One of the conditions of the women’s release from detention last year was that they not travel from their legal place of residence. Also, each had to provide a personal guarantor for her conduct. Both were lifted on Wednesday.
“I’m very disappointed that they did not drop the case,” Mr. Chen said outside the detention center after the meeting, as security guards from a nearby village ordered him, the women and reporters to leave. Guards also tried to stop reporters from photographing and filming.
“But they are free to go where they like,” he said.
[…] On Wednesday, the police also returned belongings they had confiscated last year when they detained the women. But Ms. Li said they had not returned one of three laptops and a mobile phone they had taken from her. In protest, she refused to take receipt of her belongings, she said.
The charge facing the women carries a maximum prison term of five years, meaning that, under Chinese law, they may still face criminal prosecution during five years from the time of their detention. [Source]
On Twitter, Tatlow posted a series of photos of the activists in Haidian, Beijing:
Li Tingting, Wei Tingting and Zheng Churan in good spirits just before going back to Haidian detention center: pic.twitter.com/EKOJFVuhO0
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
Security people everywhere and block photography. Throwing us out of village #FeministFive pic.twitter.com/6XmpQ2bWc4
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
#FeministFive called back to Haidian detention center, where they were held for 5 weeks last year pic.twitter.com/vvEIKgffZ5
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
#WeiTingting applies lippy to prepare for #FeministFive encounter with police at Haidian detention center pic.twitter.com/LhHUOpoY7W
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
#FeministFive today, under sign of where they were held last year for 5 weeks. Bail lifted, case not dropped. pic.twitter.com/ujmllE2jv7
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
3 of the #FeministFive in Haidian, Beijing, after having bail lifted but case not dropped, some belongings returned: pic.twitter.com/gFOtL9n1Mj
— Didi Kirsten Tatlow (@dktatlow) April 13, 2016
