Artist Ai Weiwei's request for six-month British visa denied

LONDON -- Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei who last week had his passport returned to him after it was confiscated by authorities for four years has been refused a six-month travel visa by the British government.

In a letter from the British embassy in Beijing, which he posted to his Instagram account, an entry clearance official says that Ai lied on his application form about having a criminal conviction in China.

"It is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China, and you have not declared this," the letter says.

A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Jul 29, 2015 at 8:43pm PDT

Instead of being granted a full business visa, Ai has been given 20-day entry to the country. His trip will now not coincide with that of China's President Xi Jinping who will travel to the UK for a state visit in October.

Ai was taken into police custody in 2011 and held for three months over a contested tax bill. He was never charged or convicted of a crime. Before being detained he had spoken out about several national scandals, which led the government to blacklist him from any mention in state media, and he is not allowed to post anything on Chinese social media, including Sina Weibo.

In another post to Ai's Instagram account, it says the artist attempted to clarify with the British embassy in several conversations that he was never actually convicted.

Ai Weiwei may not be able to attend his exhibition installation and opening at the Royal Academy of Arts in September 2015, due to the UK Visas and Immigration Department's claim that Ai had submitted false information regarding his criminal records in his application for the UK business visa, and decision to issue a 20-day entry visa instead of the requested six-month business visit visa for London. In a letter, the department states that "It is a matter of public record that you have previously received a criminal conviction in China", and in further conversations, referencing news about Ai's secret detention by the Chinese authorities in 2011 and the tax case for Fake Design. Ai, who has never been charged or convicted of a crime, attempted to clarify this claim with the UK Visas and Immigration Department and the British Embassy in Beijing over several telephone conversations, but the representatives insisted on the accuracy of their sources and refused to admit any misjudgment. This decision is a denial of Ai Weiwei's rights as an ordinary citizen, and a stand to take the position of those who caused sufferings for human rights defenders . A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Jul 29, 2015 at 8:38pm PDT

"This decision is a denial of Ai Weiwei's rights as an ordinary citizen, and a stand to take the position of those who caused sufferings," it says on his Instagram account.

However, in a statement emailed to Mashable, the Home Office said reports of him being "refused" a visa are "incorrect".

“He has been granted a visa to enable him to travel to the UK for the full duration of the stay he requested,” a spokesperson said.

Last week, the Royal Academy of Arts in London said that the artist would travel to attend his "landmark exhibition" at the gallery, which is due to open in September.

In a statement emailed to Mashable on Thursday, the academy's Artistic Director Tim Marlow said it was concerned that the artist had not been granted a six month visa.

“We hope for a speedy resolution to this situation and we continue to look forward to welcoming Ai Weiwei at the Royal Academy for his first major institutional exhibition in the UK this September.”