3 Internet Dissidents Released By China3 Internet Dissidents Released By China

BEIJING (AP) -- China has released three people who were detained on charges of posting Internet articles critical of the government, a human rights organization reported Sunday.

The three were released Friday, after President Hu Jintao expressed concern about their cases, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said. It noted that the move came just ahead of a visit to China by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder this week and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming trip to the United States.

The three were Liu Di, 23, a psychology student at Beijing Normal University; Li Yibin, 29, who ran a Web site called Democracy and Liberty; and Wu Yiran, 34, a graduate of Shanghai's Jiaotong University.

Liu was detained in November of last year, and international human rights groups had campaigned heavily for her release. Other Chinese Internet activists had posted articles supporting her cause, and some of them were subsequently detained themselves.

In late October, Beijing prosecutors reportedly returned Liu's case to police because of insufficient evidence.

Li was detained shortly after Liu, also last year.

Phones at the prosecutor's office rang unanswered Sunday. The human rights center said Liu's family specifically said they would give no interviews to the news media. The center said it had also spoken to Wu and had confirmed Li's release through his friends.

"Liu Di's case had attracted interest from President Hu Jintao, and this center believes the release of the three people was related to the president's interest," it said.