Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has been refused a six-month visa by the British government amid claims he lied on his visa application form.
Ai posted a letter on Instagram stating his entry to the United Kingdom had been restricted because he failed to declare his “criminal conviction.”
But Ai, though detained in China for 81 days in 2011, has never been charged or convicted of a crime in China, the BBC reports.
The artist was granted a 20-day visa to attend the opening of his London show.
However, it may mean he cannot supervise the installation of the landmark solo exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts which has a private preview on September 15.
The letter, from the visa section of the British Embassy in Beijing, stated Ai’s entry to the UK “has been restricted to the requested dates of travel, because you have failed to meet the business visitor rules.”
The document, signed by an entry clearance manager from the UK Visas and Immigration department, continued: “It is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China, and you have not declared this.
“While an exception has been made in this instance, any future application you submit must be completed as accurately as possible,” the letter concluded, adding the artist might otherwise face a 10-year ban if he did not comply.
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