Update | Chinese rights lawyer released on bail more than a year after crackdown
Xie Yanyi charged with subversion after hundreds of activists were detained in China in July 2015
One of China’s most prominent human rights lawyers was released on bail on Thursday after his arrest over 18 months ago in a huge crackdown on rights activists.
Xie Yanyi was among hundreds of people detained in the so called “709” crackdown, referring to the date in July 2015 when the arrests began.
Xie was charged with subverting state power in January last year and was detained in the northern city of Tianjin.
Xie’s wife, Yuan Shanshan, told the South China Morning Post that her husband had called her at about 5pm on Thursday to say he was out of jail, but still under surveillance at a hotel in Tianjin. He added that he was making efforts to return home soon.
The details of his bail and conditions for release are not clear.