On 3 December 2018, Li Xiaoling was released from the Zhuhai No. 1 Detention Center. Li Xiaoling has reportedly been placed under soft detention; while she has been allowed to return home, she remains under surveillance and control of Zhuhai City authorities, and she is not allowed to leave the city.
On 15 September 2017, petitioner rights advocate Li Xiaoling’s (李小玲) lawyer revealed that she had been formally arrested on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking troubles”. The human rights defender has been detained since 4 June 2017.