Voice of America News reports that a week after Chinese authorities returned his passport, Ai Weiwei has been denied a business visa by the British government because they claim he lied about his criminal record on his visa application:
The letter from the British Home Office said, “it is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China, and you have not declared this.”
The 57-year-old frequent critic of Beijing has never been formally charged with or convicted of a crime, despite being repeatedly harassed, arrested and fined by Chinese authorities.
In 2011, Ai was held for nearly three months and had his passport taken away. A company he is affiliated with was later fined $2.4 million for tax evasion, a penalty he said was leveled against him because of his activism.
The decision means Ai will not be authorized to be in Britain when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the country in October.
British authorities have denied the decision was made as a result of Chinese pressure or to prevent any potentially embarrassing protest that could be staged by Ai during Xi’s visit.
Image of Ai Weiwei via Voice of America News