The families of five Chinese feminists detained by police for more than a month facing charges of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble ' have issued a plea to authorities for their release . The female activists were arrested the weekend before International Women 's Day , as they were preparing to hand out leaflets about sexual harassment on public transport . The five women - Li Tingting , 25 , Wei Tingting , 26 , Wang Man , 32 , Zheng Churan , 25 , and Wu Rongrong , 30 - have been linked to several stunts over the last few years which aim to highlight issues such as domestic violence and the poor provision of women 's toilets in China . The Chinese feminist activists ( all pictured ) have been detained by police for more than a month and face being jailed for up to five years if they are charged with 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble ' They now face being jailed for up to five years if they are charged . Prosecutors will announce later today whether the women should be formally arrested , released or have their cases sent back to the police , their lawyers said . The vague charge of 'provoking trouble ' has been increasingly used by Chinese police under President Xi Jinping to detain and jail protesters from holding small-scale demonstrations . The activists were described as 'young , kind-hearted , and full of a sense of responsibility to society , ' ten of their parents and spouses wrote in a letter to Beijing prosecutors which was posted online on Saturday . 'These five girls , who we care for and love deeply , have not made a mistake , let alone committed a crime , ' they said , adding 'they have all striven to uphold our nation 's basic policy of gender equality ' . Activist Li Tingting , 25 , ( pictured ) poses with letters protesting about the poor provision of female toilets - she and others have since been arrested . 'Supporting gender equality and the interests of women is no crime ! ' Their detention on March 8 has prompted renewed condemnation of China 's tight controls on political activists from human rights groups as well as the US . Police interrogations of the women - several of whom suffer from chronic health problems such as asthma and an unspecified heart condition -have focused on a 2012 stunt named 'Occupy Men 's Rooms ' , one of their lawyers , Liang Xiaojun , told AFP on Sunday . Prosecutors have until Monday to formally approve their arrest or police will be obliged to release the women , he added . The parents said in their letter that the women 'have been detained for over a month and we have not had a decent explanation ' . 'Please restore their freedom and dignity as soon as possible ! ' they added . Meanwhile China has lodged a formal . protest with Washington after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and . Secretary of State John Kerry called for the release of the activists , the foreign ministry said on Monday . The tussle over the activists could further strain ties . between China and the United States , which frequently grapple . over everything the value of the yuan currency to China 's . growing military assertiveness . Biden tweeted on Saturday that China should release them , . saying , 'We urge Chinese leaders to show respect for women 's . rights , ' and adding , 'Rights of women and girls should never be . suppressed . ' Activtsts Wei Tingting , 26 , ( left ) Wang Man , 32 , ( right ) face charges of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble ' In a statement on Friday , Kerry said the U.S. government . backed the efforts of the activists , saying , 'We believe that . Chinese authorities should also support them , not silence them . ' China has lodged 'representations ' with the United States . over the comments , Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said . 'We urge the United States to respect China 's judicial . sovereignty and not use any pretext to interfere in China 's . internal affairs , ' he told a daily news briefing . 'China is a country of rule of law , ' Hong added . 'China 's . legal authorities will handle this case in accordance with the . law . ' Hillary Clinton , the Democrats ' 2016 presidential . front-runner , annoyed Beijing last week with similar calls to . free the women . Britain and the European Union have also . expressed concern about the case . President Xi Jinping 's administration has detained hundreds . of activists in the past two years , in what some rights groups . say is the worst suppression of human rights in two decades . Activists say the women 's cases have become a measure of . Beijing 's resolve in crushing all forms of civil society . Zheng Churan , 25 , ( left ) and Wu Rongrong , 30 ( right ) face being jailed for up to five years if they are charged .
Five Chinese feminists have been held by police for more than a decade . They each face charges of ' picking up and provoking trouble ' against activists linked to stunts which aim to highlight issues such as domestic violence and the poor provision of women 's toilets in China . U.S. vice President ng Biden and others have called for their arrest .