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Following the release of artist Ai Weiwei, four of his associates were released late last week, according to Ai's friends. They had all been detained in early April.
The four are: Hu Mingfen, Ai's accountant; Liu Zhenggang, who worked in his studio; Zhang Jingsong, his cousin and driver; and Wen Tao, a journalist.
Ai Weiwei has been banned from using Twitter, speaking publicly, or traveling without permission for at least a year, according to a close family member.
A lawyer close to Ai, Liu Xiaoyan, told Reuters that probably none of his friends is allowed to speak to the media, either.
The release of Ai and his four colleagues came just ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's trip to Europe beginning Friday.
More than one hundred other Chinese lawyers and activists detained since February are still in jail.
