China’s Ai Weiwei appeals for lesser-known detainees
BEIJING (Reuters) – Artist-activist Ai Weiwei said on Wednesday his 81-day detention and clash with authorities over alleged tax evasion was emblematic of countless other lesser-known cases of detainees held in jails and labour camps in China. For the first time since he was released from secret detention in late June, Ai met publicly on Wednesday with authorities at the Beijing tax bureau, which approved his payment of 8.45 million yuan (824,000 pounds) — all contributions from tens of thousands of supporters — allowing him access to an administrative review of the tax evasion charges. …