(Beijing) A person detained in December after taking part in China’s largest protests in years was released on bail this week, his mother told AFP, while 11 protesters remain incarcerated.
The detention in Canton of Yang Zijing, 25, ended on Tuesday, said his mother Gao Xiusheng, who did not wish to communicate more information for fear of reprisals.
Popular dissatisfaction with Beijing’s strict “zero COVID-19” policy had been simmering for some time when protests erupted on a scale not seen in years in late November. Sanitary restrictions were subsequently suddenly eased.
According to an overseas activist surnamed Rio interviewed by AFP, Yang Zijing and six other Guangzhou protesters close to him were released on bail on Monday and Tuesday after being held in pretrial detention for 30 days, the maximum scheduled without new prosecution.
Yang Zijing, who identifies as non-binary, took part in a protest in Guangzhou’s Haizhu Square on Nov. 27, before his arrest on Dec. 4 for “disturbing public order.”
According to Rio, released protesters are required to stay in their city of residence for a year – a condition of their release on bail – and must report regularly to the police.
“They will be under close surveillance by different services,” he explained.
Rio told AFP he knew of 11 other Beijing protesters who have been jailed since December 18, initially summoned by police the day after a demonstration held on November 27. Their cell phones were then confiscated.
According to another person with knowledge of their arrest, this group includes two journalists and an editor and is suspected of “gathering to disturb public order. »
Relatives of those arrested fear speaking out publicly due to police intimidation, she said.
According to another person familiar with the case, the lawyers of several members of the group have been prevented from speaking to the media.
According to the Rio activist, at least one of its members was arrested in Guangdong province and taken to Beijing.
AFP has learned of several cases of demonstrators, most of them young, detained for up to 24 hours in Beijing and Shanghai, the police using sophisticated technologies to locate them.