Ai Weiwei: Artist and critic of the regime on the way to Germany – SPIEGEL ONLINE

A few weeks ago got China’s most famous contemporary artists Ai Weiwei by the Chinese government his passport back, now the dissident allowed to travel abroad again: His first goal after four years is called Germany. Ai Weiwei’s Berlin gallery Neugerriemschneider confirmed that he already sitting on the plane to Munich and there to land this afternoon. In the coming days he will travel to Berlin – his six year-old son lives there for a year. The artist had sent him for fear of the unpredictability of the Chinese regime in the German capital.

Hassle Free Ai had received the German visa at the weekend – there are problems, however, with the authorities in the United Kingdom: In order to participate in the installation and opening of his exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, which from September 19 to 13 December. is shown, Ai had requested a six-month business visa in the UK. The British authorities denied him this and instead granted only a three-week stay.

The reasons for that misstatements in the visa application: London accuses the artist of having concealed his previous offending. In a letter from the British authorities, the publications of the artist in the photo service Instagram, it says: “It is public knowledge that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China.”

According to information Ai, the facts in telephone conversations with the embassy and the immigration authorities tried to clarify. He pointed out to be “never been charged or convicted of a crime”. In the talks but the British authority on Ais arrest in 2011 and the tax evasion allegations had referred to his company Fake Design Studio. However, the artist is neither owner of the company, yet there has been a process. Ai was released after 81 days in detention at an undisclosed location again. His passport had been withheld since, until last week, he had to get it back.

Ai accuses the British authorities now face, to stand with the refusal of an extended visa to the Beijing side: Great Britain refused him his rights as ordinary citizens, and take up by “the position of those who human rights defenders have inflicted suffering”, ie . it in the statement

The Embassy in Beijing responded only with a reference to a statement by the Interior Ministry in London: “All applications will be decided upon individually and in accordance with their respective laws.” It was also pointed out that Ai Weiwei was granted a visa for the “whole period” between the travel dates that he had indicated in his application. In the letter from the immigration authorities was further pointed out that it “an exception has been made” in spite of his misstatement in the visa application.