On bail ... Chinese avant-guard artist Ai Weiwei. Photo: Reuters
BEIJING: Chinese authorities have ordered the artist Ai Weiwei to pay more than $1.8 million in back taxes and fines, a close friend said, just days after his release on bail.
On Tuesday, Liu Xiaoyuan said the Beijing tax office had sent Ai - who came home last week after nearly three months in detention - a notice telling him to pay back 4.9 million yuan ($718,000) in taxes and another 7.3 million yuan in fines. That would amount to more than 12 million yuan.
Police have accused Ai of tax evasion and the government said he was freed because of his ''good attitude'' in admitting to the charges against him, his willingness to repay taxes and on medical grounds. He has diabetes.
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