A Twitter message sent out by Teng Biao (滕彪), lawyer and rights activist, says he and rights activist Hu Jia (胡佳) have been released from custody. According to HRIC sources and information available online, in the evening of July 25, 2013, Teng and Hu were taken away by Domestic Security officers from a restaurant in Shenzhen where they were having dinner to celebrate Hu Jia’s birthday. In his Tweet, Teng Biao says that others in attendance were also taken away.

A Twitter message from netizen Ye Du (野渡) provided the following details about the incident: Teng Biao had been questioned earlier in the day when he went to make a reservation. They then changed the location for the meal, but were taken away from this second location. Also taken away was netizen Mantianfanxing(漫天繁星). The officers also attempted to take away Mantianfanxing’s mobile.

Teng Biao is a lecturer at the Law School of the China University of Political Science and Law and practices law at the Beijing Huayi Law Firm. He has provided counsel in many human rights cases, including those of Chen Guangcheng, Hu Jia, and Sun Zhigang.

Hu Jia is an activist on environmental and HIV/AIDS issues, and served a three-year-and-six-month prison term for "inciting subversion of state power." He was released on June 26th, 2011.

For more information on Teng Biao, see:

• “To Teng Biao, My Love, “ April 19, 2011
• “Lawyers and Activists Detained, Summoned, and Harassed in “Jasmine Rallies” Crackdown, “February 23, 2011
• “The State’s Respect for and Protection of Human Rights Begins with the Strict Prohibition of Torture,” January 17, 2011
• “Teng Biao: Political Legitimacy and “Charter 08”,” China Rights Forum, 2009 No.2

For more information on Hu Jia, see:

• “Xu Zhiyong’s Lawyer Liu Weiguo in Custody, Rights Group is Shut Down,” July 18, 2013
• “Hu Jia Released,” June 27, 2011
• “Earthquake Activist Freed after Three Years in Prison; Other Rights Defenders to Be Released This Month,” June 11, 2011
• “Zeng Jinyan's Sakharov Prize Acceptance Speech on behalf of Hu Jia,” December 17, 2008
• “HRIC Congratulates Hu Jia, Recipient of 2008 Sakharov Prize,” October 23, 2008
• “HRIC Condemns Official Interference in Access to Justice in Rights Defense Cases: Hu Jia, Guo Feixiong,” April 21, 2008
• “HRIC Denounces Conviction of Prominent Activist Hu Jia,” April 3, 2008
• “Politicized Trial of Rights Defender Hu Jia Guts Freedom of Expression in China,” March 18, 2008
• “Activist Hu Jia Arrested (updated),” March 17, 2008
• Hu Jia and Teng Biao, “The Real Situation in Pre-Olympics China,” China Rights Forum, 2007, no. 4 (PDF)