Outspoken Chinese writer released after 2 weeks

The wife of a Chinese author who leads an outspoken writers' group said Monday her husband was released after being detained for two weeks.

Zhao Shiying, the secretary-general of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, had been taken into custody by authorities on Jan 11. from his home in southern Shenzhen.

Shi Xiaoli told The Associated Press that her husband was freed Monday afternoon but declined to go into details. "He's resting at home," she said.

Zhao, whose pen name is Zhao Dagong, had been a signatory to Charter 08, a daring call for reform in China. The manifesto called for expanded political freedoms and the end to Communist Party dominance. Hundreds of people, including some of China's top intellectuals, have signed it.

Zhao's group, based in Hong Kong, has pushed publicly for the release of the charter's co-author Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for incitement to subvert state power. Others who supported Charter 08 have also been harassed by authorities.

The Independent Chinese PEN Center is affiliated with International PEN, a global group that promotes freedom of expression.