China has freed Internet user Liu Di on bail. Her family confirmed to
Reporters Without Borders that police released her from secret detention on
28 November and that she had returned to her home in Beijing.

The
23-year-old student had been detained in secret since November 2002 after
she posted messages on online discussion forums under the pseudonym
"stainless steel mouse". Two other cyberdissidents Wu Yiran, 34, and Li
Yibin, 29, were also freed the same day.

At least two people have been imprisoned for protesting online about Liu
Di’s detention without trial. During 2003, hundreds of Chinese people took
the risk of signing an online petition calling for her release.
Reporters Without Borders welcomed the releases. The international press
freedom organisation however pointed out that more than 40 cybersdissidents
remained in jail in China for posting messages on the Internet that were
critical of the authorities. In November alone, eight of them were sentenced
to jail terms ranging from three to ten years. "The Chinese government is
making a positive gesture towards the international community," said Robert
Ménard, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders. "However we condemn
the hypocrisy of the Chinese justice system, which acts for the sake of
appearances for diplomatic reasons, but continues to crack down on freedom
of expression on the Internet on a daily basis."

These releases come three days ahead of German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder’s visit to China and one week before Chinese prime minister Wen
Jiabao travels to the United States. The German government recently
expressed its concern at China’s curbs on freedom of expression on the
Internet.

Over 13 years ago, Reporters without Borders created its "Sponsorship
Programme" and called upon the international media to select and support an
imprisoned journalist. One hundred and twenty news staffs around the globe
are thus sponsoring colleagues by regularly petitioning authorities for
their release and by publicising their situations so that their cases will
not be forgotten.
Currently, Liu Di is sponsored by : Elle, Association, 29 Rue Blanche,
Flair/L¹hebdo, RTBF (TV), Fun Radio (Belgique), Télépro Voir (Québec) and
le Centre des médias alternatifs du Québec.