Rights groups in China welcomed the release on bail of five feminist activists who were detained for 37 days for planning protests against sexual harassment, after widespread international protests.
The five young activists are members of China's Women's Rights Action Group and they were arrested on the eve of International Women's Day.
They had made stickers printed with slogans “Stop sexual harassment, let us stay safe” and “Go police, go arrest those who committed sexual harassment!” which they planned to distribute the next day.
The women, who were freed on bail, are Li Tingting and Zheng Churan, both 25, Wei Tingting (26), Wu Rongrong (30) and Wang Man (33).
Among those who made public displays of support for the women, known as the Feminist Five in some circles, were US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry.
Lu Jun, co-founder of Chinese campaign group Yirenping, said that by their actions in highlighting domestic abuse and raising awareness of sexual harassment, the women had furthered legal protection of rights for women in China.
“They deserve public recognition and rewards. The arrest and detention of them is a glaring injustice,” said Mr Lu. “We urge that the police immediately terminate the criminal investigation of the five feminist activists, withdraw the case and stop treating them as “criminal suspects.”
The Yirenping Centre subsequently came under pressure itself. At a news briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: “For the organisation they are affiliated with, Beijing Yirenping Centre, because this organisation is suspected of violating the law, it will face punishment.” No details were given of what punishment Yirenping will face.
Human rights groups said the decision to release the activists was an “incomplete step” as the women’s release is conditional.
They were held on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles”, which is often used to punish dissent in China and carries a maximum of five years in prison.
They were freed in a procedural step known as “release on guarantee pending further investigation”, which involves a number of restrictions on freedom of movement, communications, and possible summons for further interrogation.
"The authorities must now follow through and drop all charges and restrictions against the women," said William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International.
“Women’s rights campaigners should be free to advance human rights without fear of intimidation or the threat of detention. Yet the reality today is that rights activists are systematically monitored, harassed and suppressed,” said Mr Nee.
The Human Rights in China (HRIC) group called for their release to be made unconditional.
“‘Release on guarantee pending further investigation’ is a legal sword of Damocles hanging over the five activists with the potential to serve the authorities’ purpose to further chill citizen activism,” HRIC said in a legal note issued after the five women were freed.
“As the Chinese government seeks to undertake formal legal measures to address domestic violence, attempts to curtail citizen actions can only undermine its efforts to tackle the serious social problems facing China,” HRIC said.
Writing in China Change, the gender scholar Wang Zheng said that freeing the women showed that mobilising global feminist movements and grassroots support was effective in bringing about change, and also showed that compromise was possible with the government.
However, she said she was also aware of the scale of the challenges facing feminist activists and other rights advocates in China.
“As long as non-governmental organizations’ activism for advocating and implementing laws relating to gender equality or any other issue is defined as criminal, there will be no safe zone for feminists as well as activists working in other realms for social justice,” she said.
Describing the women as “absolutely my sunshine through this ordeal,” she said: “Yes, the event has turned the term “feminist” a glorious one. Today so many young women on (social media) WeChat proudly declared, “I am so proud of being a feminist!”
