Outspoken Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei said on Thursday he was “very happy to be free” on bail after more than two months in police custody during a major government crackdown on dissent.
“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.
When asked about the conditions of his release, Ai said: “I’m on bail so I can’t give out any information. I can’t do interviews.”
The release of Ai, who was taken into custody at Beijing’s international airport on April 3 while trying to board a flight to Hong Kong, was somewhat unexpected as authorities had suggested he was involved in massive tax fraud.
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