A court in Beijing’s Chaoyang district has rejected Ai Weiwei’s appeal of a 15 million yuan fine for tax evasion, according to BBC:
Supporters say the fine is politically motivated and Mr Ai wanted the court to overrule the penalty.
”We will keep appealing, until the day comes when we cannot lose,” Mr Ai said via Twitter.
His lawyer Pu Zhiqiang, who was in court for the verdict, told reporters that the ruling was ”totally without reason”.
Ai also claimed on his Twitter account Thursday that he was barred from appearing in the Beijing court to hear the verdict [translated by CDT]:
Today, I was once again confined to my house, and police did not allow me to appear before the court to receive the judgment. This country has once again proved to the world that law and fairness do not exist here.
Speaking to reporters from his Beijing studio after the verdict, Ai reiterated his disappointment. From AFP:
“China keeps telling other countries they are a rule of law country… But we only hope they implement the laws they themselves drew up,” he added.
See also previous CDT coverage of Ai Weiwei and his detention on tax evasion charges last year.
