No talking, no tweeting and no travel for a year — these are some of the conditions of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei’s release from more than two months in detention, a source close to the family told Reuters on Friday.
Ai is not allowed to post anything on Twitter or accept interviews for a year, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to muzzle dissent.
“The key thing is these two conditions — the media and the internet,” the source said.
Ai has freedom of movement within Beijing, but before he “goes out, he needs to report his whereabouts to them” for a year, the source said, but declined to elaborate who Ai needs to report to.
Ai said on Thursday he was “very happy to be free” on bail.
“I’m fine. I’m very happy to be free and I’m very happy to be back with my family,” the 54-year-old Ai, whose detention in early April sparked an outcry in the West and repeated calls for his release, told Agence France-Presse by telephone.
Police released the artist-activist after he confessed to tax evasion and because he suffers from a “chronic disease”, the official Xinhua news agency said late on Wednesday.
Ai was released because of “his good attitude in confessing his crimes”, his willingness to repay the taxes he owes, and on medical grounds, Xinhua said. The artist has diabetes. – AFP