Update | Four participants of June 4 commemoration released on bail
Gao Yu still in detention as rights groups say this year's round-up of pro-democracy veterans is noted for its scope and severity
Liberal scholars Xu Youyu and Hao Jian, online writer Liu Di and Christian house church leader Hu Shigen were released on Thursday after having been detained for a month in an ongoing clampdown on government critics ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement.
Two friends of Hao, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said he was also released on bail on Thursday. Hao's lawyer could not be reached on Friday.
Xu's wife confirmed on Thursday that he had been released, but declined to elaborate as they were barred from talking to the media as a condition of his release.
Together with rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, the four were placed in criminal detention early last month on the charge of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" after attending a seminar involving 15 people at Hao's home in Beijing on May 3. They were commemorating the anniversary of the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy movement.
Shang said that under Chinese law, people released on bail were still considered criminal suspects and were subject to a number of restrictions including confinement to their hometowns and reporting to local police for a year.
