Artist silenced over prison release

Artist Ai Weiwei, the most high-profile victim of a sweeping crackdown on activists in China, returned home late yesterday after nearly three months in detention, saying he was fine but the conditions of his release meant he could not say more.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Mr Ai had confessed to tax evasion, accusations his family had long denied and which activists had denounced as a false premise for detaining him. He has spoken out strongly against the ruling Communist Party, and his family and supporters called his detainment punishment for this.

Mr Ai, looking tired and thinner than he did before he was taken away on 3 April, walked through the gate of his suburban home studio shortly after 11pm local time with his mother and wife.

He said his health was fine as he thanked reporters for their support outside his studio. But he said he remained under restrictions and could say no more. "I'm sorry I can't (talk]. I am on probation, please understand," Mr Ai said, speaking in English.

The conditions appeared to extend also to Mr Ai's family, although his mother told reporters she was relieved to see him again. "I'm so happy that my son is back," Gao Ying said.

Mr Ai's detention and disappearance had sparked an international outcry, with the EU, US and others saying it was a sign of China's deteriorating human rights situation.

German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle was cautiously optimistic about Mr Ai's release. "That would be a big relief for the artist and his family, even though the reported circumstances of his release on bail continue to appear depressing," Mr Westerwelle said in a written statement.

Several of Mr Ai's work colleagues have also been detained, but there was no immediate word on their fate.

Hundreds of Chinese lawyers, activists and other intellectuals have disappeared or been questioned or detained by authorities in the clampdown, and those released have almost all kept silent, possibly fearing repercussions.

The three-paragraph Xinhua report said Mr Ai, 54, was released because of his poor health and because he had shown a "good attitude in confessing his crimes" and pledging to pay taxes he owed.

Xinhua repeated earlier allegations in the state media that a company linked to Mr Ai, Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd, had evaded a "huge amount" of taxes and intentionally destroyed accounting documents.

Formal charges against Mr Ai have never been announced, and the state media report did not mention any pending charges or trial. It is extremely rare for detained people to be released on bail in China.

Mr Ai's wife Lu Qing said the company in question is registered and belongs to her, not him. It handles the business aspects of Mr Ai's art career.

Sophie Richardson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said Mr Ai will likely face onerous restrictions on his activities and contact with the outside world for some time, based on the experience of others recently released.The "highly dubious grounds" on which Mr Ai was detained and the apparent lack of due process in his release called into question China's often-repeated claim to be a country ruled by law, Ms Richardson said.

"The rule of law is whatever they say it is, whenever they say it is," she said.

Mr Ai is among China's best-known artists and helped design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest Olympic stadium. His fame has soared in recent years, both for his groundbreaking art and his bold irreverence toward authority.