China releases human rights lawyer Teng

Human rights lawyer Teng Biao has been released by the Chinese authorities 10 weeks after he was taken into custody amid a crackdown on dissent. But fears are growing over the disappearance of a second lawyer, Li Fangping, after he failed to return home on Friday from the office of an Aids victims group in Beijing.

Tengbiao滕彪授权发表

According to advocacy group China Aid, both men are active members of the Chinese Christian Rights Defense Association which has made headlines recently over repeated arrests of Christians.

In February, Teng and other lawyers involved in the defense of Chen Guangcheng, an activist who has spoken out about forced abortions in China, were arrested and beaten by police following a meeting in Beijing.

China's communist government imposes controls on faith by requiring groups to register for government approval to gather despite an official policy stipulating religious freedom.

China Aid president, Bob Fu, welcomed Teng's release, but warned China could not continue the policy of releasing one detainee only to arrest another.

Chinese authorities launched their toughest campaign against government critics in years after anonymous online appeals in February called for weekly protests similar to those in the Arab world.