RELEASE AI WEIWEI

And again the time has come to use the widespread world wide web in order to raise

AWARENESS!

This  time it concerns Ai Weiwei! A Chinese internationally known 53-year-old artist, a radical individualist, courageous advocate of human rights and one of China's innumerable political critics!

Since Ai Weiwei has been detained by officials on April 3rd at the Bejing airport as he tried to board a flight to Hong Kong, no further signs of life appeared until now, nobody has been able to contact him since, documents, computers, hard drives have been confiscated from his studio and even his wife, friends and staff were detained and questioned over the weekend!

"Ai Weiwei has no respect for the laws of his country, and he is on the verge of pushing the limits of legal tolerance. For this, Ai Weiwei's behaviour will be evaluated and he will pay a price for his actions." [state-run Globel Times Newspaper]

This is not the first time that the Chinese government tries stopping the torrential waters of Ai Weiwei. The artist already has been arrested earlier when he wanted to hold a party to protest at the demolition of his new art studio. This studio was to be used as an education center and a site for artists in residence. Took two years to build and suddenly was cited for not having the proper building permits and got torn down without any warning within one day!

"They wanted to demolish it overnight without us finding out because they were worried the demolition would attract attention." [Mr Ai told BBC]

 

 

So after taking down his blog and smashing his studio the Chinese government really tries to silence Ai Weiwei by detaining the artist for now more than one week ?!

"This time it's extremely serious. They searched his studio and took disks and hard drives and all kinds of stuff, but the police haven't told us where he is or what they're after. There's no information about him." [his wife told Reuters]

This is just so incredibly unbelievable that we all simply MUST stand with Ai Weiwei and with all those who have been unjustly detained !!!

So even you, me, WE might be in other countries far away from this happening in China there is the possibility to spread these words and increase the awareness eventhough China completely tries to block the artist.  The U.S, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union called for the immediate release of Ai Weiwei. Bianca Jagger raised her voice and wants you to support Ai Weiwei by signing The Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation's petition. 

Also Dazed put their virtual pen to paper, asking you to copy their Open Letter and send it to the Chinese Ambassador in London!

Dear Ambassador Liu,

I am writing to urge you to do everything within your power to guarantee the immediate and unconditional release of Ai Weiwei and others arbitrarily detained in China  since late February, unless the Chinese authorities can show reasonable grounds for suspecting them of having committed an internationally recognisable criminal offence. While they remain in custody, the authorities must ensure they have access to their family, legal representation of their choice and any medical care they may require. The authorities must guarantee they will not be tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

I am deeply concerned that since an anonymous online call on 17 February to stage a ‘Jasmine Revolution’ in China more than a hundred activists, many of them active on Twitter and blogs, have been detained, put under surveillance or illegal house arrest, or have simply gone missing. Moreover, at least a dozen lawyers say they have been briefly detained and pressured by the authorities not to take up cases defending those detained, and even told by police to stop tweeting about detained people.

The Chinese authorities must end their repression of calls for peaceful political reform and instead listen to its own people. I am urging the Chinese authorities  to take effective measures to guarantee freedom of expression, association and assembly in line with China’s Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which China has signed and declared an intention to ratify.

So please use this opportunity to tell the Chinese government that they must end their repression of human rights, follow FreeAiWeiwei.org, their facebook page and copy and past this letter into a mail and send it to: press@chinese-embassy.org.uk

One Click, Man's Life!