Chinese dissident Weiwei is reportedly under investigation for spreading pornography

Beijing - Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei announced today that police are investigating him and his colleague for alleged distribution of pornography. The dissident, known for his extravagant exhibitions and unconventional artistic performances, published an art photograph online, in which he poses nude surrounded by naked women. The world-renowned artist, who is also facing allegations of tax evasion, denies all charges, calling them an attempt by the Chinese government to silence his criticism of the communist regime.
    "Yesterday (Thursday), my assistant was taken to the police station. (The police) informed him that this is regarding my case concerning pornography," Ai said today by phone to AFP.
    In the photograph, a naked Ai and four women sit on chairs in the middle of an empty room with white walls. "Internet users came to take a picture with me, and we decided that we could take a picture nude. When everyone agreed, we did it, and then we posted it online," Ai described the background of the photo's creation.
    The artist's assistant, Zhao Zhao, who has been summoned for questioning, is the author of the photograph taken last year.
    Ai noted that the authorities have accused him of pornography in the past, for example due to a photo in which he appears nude with his genitals covered by a stuffed animal, but he did not take such accusations seriously.
    "When I was detained, they claimed it was pornography, but I just laughed. 'Do you even know what pornography is?' I asked them. Nudity is not pornography," he testified.
    Ai Weiwei was arrested this spring as part of a crackdown on government critics and was detained without charges for three months, regaining freedom at the end of June. He was later charged with tax evasion, and the tax office is demanding 15 million yuan (nearly 44.5 million CZK) from him in taxes and fines.
    Ai this week on Tuesday offered a guarantee of 8.45 million yuan (25 million CZK), which should allow him to request a review of the tax office's decision. The funds he provided come from donations from the artist's supporters, who contributed nearly nine million yuan to him in recent days. The artist denies the accusations, stating that no evidence of tax evasion has been presented.